100 Ways To Say I Love You
by India M
Summary: got the idea from a tumblr post; just little stories about Jackie and Hyde saying "I love you" without realizing it
1. Call Me When You Get Home

" **Call me when you get home"**

It was late. Jackie hadn't realized just how late until she opened the basement door and a cold, snowy wind blew through the basement, causing everyone still there to yell for her to "shut the damn door!"

 _God, I gotta get a stopwatch or something for circle time_ , she thought. She had thought they had been sitting there for just an hour or so, but according to her watch, it was 9:30. And, apparently it was now snowing.

"You goin' home?" Jackie turned to see Hyde leaning back in his chair, carefully studying her.

"Yeah, I still got some homework to do," she sighed, buttoning up her jacket and getting ready to brave the snow.

"You drove today, right? You're not walking?" Hyde was still talking. Why was he so interested in how she was getting home?

"Got the keys to Daddy's Lincoln right here!" she shook them and smiled, reaching for the door. She waved goodbye to Eric and Donna and turned to go when Hyde spoke again.

"Sure you can drive in this snow, princess?"

"Aw Hyde, are you worried about Jackie?" Eric snickered, flipping through one of the old magazines they kept down here.

"Hey, can it Forman," Hyde said tersely, still looking to Jackie.

"Steven, this is Wisconsin; if I couldn't drive in a little snow, I would be an embarrassment to my state," she laughed. "I'll be fine."

Hyde still seemed displeased with this answer, but there was nothing more to say. At least that's what Jackie thought, until he piped up _again_.

"Call me when you get home?"

He had blurted it out quickly, like he was embarrassed or something, and Jackie stifled another giggle.

"Sure Steven, I'll call."

And she did. And Hyde would never admit it, but he was actually glad to hear her voice on the other line.


	2. Is Your Seatbelt On?

" **Is your seatbelt on?"**

Hyde was pissed. He had asked Forman to pick him up from the Foto Hut on his way home from the Hub and he had totally flaked. After realizing that, he called Kelso. _Don't know why_ , he thought ruefully. _What were the odds that he actually would've pulled his head out of his ass and done something for someone else?_

He would've walked, except that it was raining hard and it was a long way back to the Forman's. So he went to his last resort; he called Jackie.

"Steven? I didn't know you knew my phone number! What do you-

"Can you pick me up from work and take me to the Forman's?" he winced. It was hard for him to ask people to do things for him, and especially hard to ask Jackie, the stuck-up ice princess of Point Place.

There was silence on her end of the line, and Hyde knew she was probably trying to formulate the perfect zinger to make fun of how poor/dirty/uncool/etc he was.

"Sure. I'll be there in 10 minutes." and then the click of the phone being hung up.

 _Am I imagining things?_ He was stunned. No fight, no mean comments...and she was actually going to do him the favor? Was it opposite day? _Maybe she's pranking me and she won't come…_

But 10 minutes later, there she was, honking the horn in the parking lot. He ran out and quickly got in the car, trying to stay as dry as he could.

"Steven! You're getting water all over the upholstery!" Ah, there was the Jackie he knew.

He settled back in his seat and looked at her; she wasn't making any moves to start the car.

"Are we going or….?" he trailed off.

"Is your seatbelt on?" she asked pointedly. _You've gotta be kidding me._ But she just looked at him and he knew she wasn't moving the car until he was all buckled in. Hyde sighed and made a big show of yanking the seatbelt over his shoulder and clicking it into place.

"Alright, now we can go!" she said, in that know-it-all voice she seemed to reserve just for him.

As they made their way to the Forman's, Hyde had to admit; it felt nice to know that the the ice princess of Point Place didn't want him flying through her windshield. Funny, right?


	3. It's Two Sugars, Right?

" **It's two sugars, right?"**

Jackie didn't usually drink coffee, but these last few weeks she'd been so busy; between cheerleading practice, hanging out in the basement, and not starting on her homework until late...well, she was exhausted. So she was drinking coffee. Well, she _was_. Until Fez had knocked her cup over, almost ruining her homework. He and Kelso had been messing around, shoving and punching each other, until Kelso had hit just a little too hard. Fez had slammed into the table, jostling everything and causing her cup to teeter and fall over, spilling a river of coffee. Luckily, her work was safe, but now no coffee.

She was trying to get absorbed in her notes again when there was a _thump_ and suddenly Hyde was sitting across from her.

"What do you want, Steven?" she snapped without looking up.

"It's two sugars, right?" he responded. Jackie looked up to see Hyde ripping open two sugar packets and tipping them into a cup of coffee.

"Um, what?" she mumbled, disoriented.

"Two sugars? In your coffee?" he rolled his eyes. "God, you really are useless without this stuff, aren't you, Burkhart?"

He pushed the cup across the table to her.

"Is this...for me?" Jackie wanted to be sure. I mean, Hyde was actually being nice to her!

"Yeah," he scratched the back of his neck. "I saw Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dumbass over there spill yours and no offense, but these days you're kind of a zombie without it."

She was already sipping from the cup, feeling that caffeinated buzz shooting through her.

"Wait, but how did you know it was two sugars?"

"I don't know, I just did," Hyde said. _Was he blushing?_

"Well, thank you, Steven." she smiled at him and he grinned back, before straightening his smile back into his usual scowl. He pushed his chair back and stood up, then paused.

"Hey, stop killing yourself, alright? Go home earlier, or hell, do your homework in the basement. But you gotta get off the java." He waved his goodbye and quickly left.

Jackie smiled over her cup of coffee. _Hyde's more observant than we give him credit for._


	4. It Reminded Me Of You

" **It reminded me of you"**

Hyde flipped channels lazily, not really registering the shows flashing across the screen. He was bored, but not bored enough to start on the history essay that was due tomorrow. Forman was up in his room right now working diligently on it. _What a wuss._

But the relative peace of this Sunday afternoon was shattered as soon as the basement door was blown open and Jackie breezed into the basement. She plopped down next to him on the couch, snapping the gum in her mouth. Hyde could actually _feel_ his stress levels rising.

"Ooh, The Price Is Right, keep it on The Price Is Right!" she said, tapping his leg.

"Alright, alright!" he snapped. They lapsed back into silence and Hyde relaxed a little bit. Maybe Jackie just wanted a quiet afternoon, too. They could just sit in this zen, peaceful way, not talking and just watching Bob Barker do his thing. It was nice to sit in silence like thi-

"Oh, Steven, I almost forgot!" Jackie gasped. _Well, there goes the zen._

She was rummaging in her purse, pulling out all kinds of crap and tossing it on the table.

"Jesus, Jackie, do you carry everything you own in here?" Hyde marveled. He picked through the pile of lip gloss, pencils, matches, homework assignments, and bobby pins as Jackie continued to dig around in her purse.

"I know I put it in here! Why can't I-oh, here it is!" she squealed. Jackie pulled something small out of her purse and pressed it into Hyde's hand.

He was surprised to see that the object of all her consternation was just a small plastic lighter. When he looked closer though, he saw that "FIGHT THE SYSTEM!" was emblazoned on one side of the lighter. The other side had a small drawing of a hand flipping the bird. Hyde chuckled.

"Damn, this is a cool lighter, Burkhart. Doesn't really seem like your style, though"

"Well, of course not," she rolled her eyes. "It's for you, dummy."

Hyde was shocked into silence, but soon enough he grumbled "Why the hell are you giving me this?"

"Oh, don't get your panties in a twist," Jackie scoffed. "I saw it at the gas station. It reminded me of you."

After that, Hyde never used anything else to light his joints.


	5. Take My Seat

" **Take my seat"**

Jackie was dreading going to Eric's today. She and Michael had broken up the day before, and while she was glad she had finally cut him loose, it would still hurt to see him. He _was_ her first love, after all. But she wasn't going to let a potential awkward situation keep her out of the basement and away from her motley crew of friends.

She paused before opening the basement door. _I should've walked over here with Donna_ , she cursed herself silently. It would have been easier to walk in with someone else. _Get it together, Jackie, you can do this._

She pushed open the door, already talking before she even knew who was there. "Donna, you will not _believe_ who I saw making out behind the bleachers today!"

Scanning the room, Jackie saw that the whole gang was here, which meant every seat was filled. This shouldn't have been a problem, except that...well, Jackie had always sat on Michael's lap when there wasn't enough room for everybody. But now that simply wasn't an option.

"Who was it? Please tell me, I need to visualize it," Fez pleaded, unwrapping a peppermint excitedly.

Jackie was still standing next to the door, not sure how to proceed. _Maybe I could sit on the deep-freeze? No, then my butt will get all cold._

"Take my seat." Hyde had been watching her carefully ever since she had dramatically entered the basement, and now he was standing up and gesturing to his chair. Jackie just stared at him, not really sure what to say. Hyde just rolled his eyes and went to the deep-freeze, pulled a popsicle out, and then leaned up against the wall.

"Jackie! Who was making out? Fez needs something to satisfy his needs!" Fez's pleading snapped Jackie out of the confused daze she was in, and she made her way across the basement, plopping down in Hyde's chair and avoiding eye-contact with Michael.

"Pam Macy….and Coach Bennett!" she said, loving the reactions of everyone listening. This revelation caused everyone in the basement to start their own musings on what Pam Macy saw in the short, bearded assistant football coach, and Jackie turned around to look at Hyde.

He was still leaning against the wall, sucking on his cherry popsicle and looking like he didn't have a care in the world.

"Thanks, Steven." she silently mouthed to him. He just smiled and nodded.


	6. Here, Drink This You'll Feel Better

" **Here, drink this. You'll feel better"**

Hyde was very hungover. He and Forman had gone to the water tower to have a few beers, and a few beers had turned into too many beers and now Hyde was hungover. _This was all Forman's fault_ , he thought to himself. _If he hadn't started going on and on about how much he loved freakin' Donna and how amazing it was that she loved him back. Barf._

So now here he was this fine Saturday morning, laying in his bed and wishing he could knock himself out so his head would stop pounding. He heard the basement door slam open and he prayed to every god out there that whoever it was would just leave. No such luck.

"Hey, is anyone here?" _Oh, God_ , Hyde groaned to himself. Of course it _had_ to be Jackie. _Maybe she'll just go away when no one answers._ But that would've been too damn lucky. The door was pushed open.

"Steven, where is-

"Jackie, I don't usually enjoy your company on a good day, but I'm too hungover for you to be here." Hyde didn't even open his eyes to see her reaction. But, miraculously, she didn't even say anything. And did he hear the sound of her platforms clomping out of his room?

Hyde was still laying there, trying to go to sleep so he wouldn't feel so crappy, when he heard someone walking down the basement stairs and, horror of horrors, back into his room.

"Jackie, for the love of _God_ -

"Here, drink this. You'll feel better."

He cracked his eyes open and saw Jackie holding a glass of water out to him.

"What?"

"Drink this stupid water, Steven! God, don't drink if you can't take care of yourself afterwards," she huffed. Hyde took the glass from her hand and started drinking as Jackie rolled her eyes and turned to leave.

"I'm going to Donna's. Try not to die."

"Hey, Burkhart?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks."


	7. I Like Your Laugh

" **I like your laugh"**

It was Saturday night in Point Place and, as usual, the gang was in Eric's basement watching whatever crap-tastic movie of the week that was on. This week? _Young Frankenstein_. It was pretty funny, and Jackie _did_ love Gene Wilder, so she was content to sit on the gross basement couch for a few hours.

There was one problem, though; Jackie couldn't stop laughing. Yes, it was a comedy and everybody was laughing, but Jackie was uncontrollable.

"Geez, what's with Giggles the Clown over here?" Eric groaned as Jackie lapsed into another fit of laughter at an onscreen joke.

"Sorry, guys, that would be my fault." Hyde raised a hand and smirked. "Jackie got here early and we smoked a little. Guess this is stronger stuff than she's used to."

"Hyde, you can't just go and get my girlfriend high like this!" Kelso said, shoving a fistful of popcorn in his mouth. "Now she's gonna fall asleep and we won't be able to do it tonight!"

"What a pity." Hyde turned back to the TV screen.

Jackie was still laughing to herself, unable to stop. She leaned over to Donna and Hyde and whispered conspiratorially, "You know, I hate my laugh. It's really annoying and shrill, but tonight? I don't even care! I wish life was like this all the time!" And then she was snickering again.

"Me and you both, sweetheart," Hyde chuckled. "And, between you and me, I like your laugh."

"Well, thank you, Steven," Jackie said in her usual prissy tone...then burst out laughing again. "Oh my _God_ , I sounded like such a _bitch_!"

At that, Hyde joined in her laughter, laughing like Jackie had just told the funniest joke in the world.

"Okay, so new rule: they're not allowed to smoke alone together," Eric said, looking around at everyone else as they nodded in approval.

Hyde and Jackie laughed like that all night. Sometimes, when Jackie gets sad, she remembers that night, and how good it felt to laugh with Steven, without a care in the world. And it always makes her smile.


	8. Look Both Ways

" **Look both ways"**

Hyde was in a jam. Well, it wasn't too bad this time, but a jam nonetheless. He had agreed to take Jackie home from the mall after her shift as a Cheese Maiden. He _had_ been at the mall anyways buying some new jeans. And for some reason, he could just never say no to her. So here he was, walking through the mall with Jackie, as she prattled on about how mean Michael was being and how he never bought her anything nice and shiny.

They exited the mall and Hyde started to cross the small street to get to the parking lot when Jackie slammed her arm across his chest.

"Burkhart, what the hell are you-

"Steven! Didn't your mother ever tell you _anything_ about traffic safety?" she scolded him.

"Jackie, my mom didn't tell me a lot of things. Traffic safety just never really came up." he rolled his eyes.

"Well, I'm telling you now: look both ways. What if a car had been coming and you had just jumped out into the road like a crazy person?" she was starting to do that thing where she got slightly hysterical, waving her arms around and flipping her hair.

"Ok, ok, I got it!" Hyde said quickly, trying to get her to stop drawing attention to them. "Look both ways, I got it."

This time when he went to cross the street, he theatrically turned his head to the right and left, making a big show about how he was looking both ways. He turned back to look at Jackie. Was it his imagination, or was she trying to hide a smile?

"Come on, you big goof," she said, in a different tone than Hyde was used to hearing. She actually sounded amused by him.

Hyde would never tell anyone(except maybe Eric the next time they got really drunk), but something about Jackie in that moment had given him a warm feeling; like maybe she didn't hate him so much after all.


	9. Stay There I'm Coming To Get You

" **Stay there. I'm coming to get you"**

Hyde was pleased to finally have the basement to himself this Friday night. Eric and Donna were at the movies, Fez and Kelso were throwing shit into the rock quarry, and who knows where Jackie was. Hyde didn't care; as long as she wasn't near him.

He was watching _Little House on the Prairie_ , almost dozing off, when the phone rang. _Why do we even have a phone down here?,_ Hyde grumbled to himself. He waited for Mrs. Forman or Red to answer it upstairs, when he remembered they were having a date night of their own. Sighing, he picked up the phone.

"Hello?"

"Steven, is that you? Can you put Donna on?" Hyde instantly recognized Jackie's voice, but she sounded different. She sounded panicky.

"Donna's on a date with Forman."

"Oh, God," Jackie moaned.

"What's up with you tonight? Why do you need Donna?" Hyde was getting kind of worried, but he knew Jackie overreacted. She'd probably broken a nail or something.

"I went to this party with my friend Cheryl and her older sister who's at UW and it's all college kids here and there was this guy and he-he…" Jackie sounded like she was crying now and Hyde could feel his hand clenching tighter around the phone.

"Jackie, where are you right now?" Hyde sounded calm, but he was about to boil over.

"I'm at Kevin Keller's. I went in a bedroom and locked the door," Jackie said, trying to pull herself together.

"Stay there. I'm coming to get you." Hyde hung up the phone, already pulling his boots on and grabbing his keys.

He gripped the steering wheel tightly the whole way over, his knuckles white. _If she's hurt in any way, I'll kill everyone there,_ he grimly vowed to himself.

He pulled up and quickly got out of the car, hurrying across the lawn and into the house. The music was crazy loud and there were people everywhere. _Why would Jackie come to something like this without any of the gang?_

He went towards a hallway, opening every door he could. He walked in on a lot of couples who were trying to have a little alone time, but Hyde didn't care.

Finally, he came to a locked door and started beating on it.

"Someone's in here!" he heard someone call.

"It's Hyde, I'm looking for Jackie!" he yelled back. At that, he heard the lock click and the door swung open, revealing a crying Jackie.

"I can't believe you-

"Jackie, we can talk later, let's just get the hell out of here." Hyde grabbed her hand without thinking and pulled her towards the door and out into the yard.

He didn't relax until they were in his car, driving down the street.

Jackie was sniffling, trying to surreptitiously wipe away the tracks her mascara had left on her cheeks.

"So...do I need to go back there and kick someone's ass?" Hyde said cautiously.

Jackie laughed quietly and said, "No...no, nothing bad happened. I just...I got so scared, Steven. This guy….he grabbed my butt and tried to kiss me, and when I wouldn't, he grabbed my arm and-and-" She was starting to cry again, and Hyde reached over and grabbed her hand again.

"Hey, hey: you're okay now. As long as he didn't…" Hyde trailed off, not sure how to say it. But Jackie knew what he meant. She shook her head.

"I kicked him in the shin and ran to the bedroom."

Hyde chuckled at that. Yep, that was Jackie, alright.

"Do you want me to take you home?"

She sniffled and looked out the window. "Um, can I come back to the basement with you? I'll spend the night with Donna, I just...don't wanna be alone right now."

Hyde could literally _feel_ his heart breaking.

"Of course you can, Burkhart. Long as you don't mind watching _Little House on the Prairie_."


	10. That's Okay, I Bought Two

" **That's okay, I bought two"**

It had been a long day for Steven Hyde. In addition to the usual exhaustion that school gave him, Edna had split a few days ago and his food supply was running low. Hell, he was at the Hub right now and wasn't even eating anything; that's how broke he was.

"Hey, what do you think would happen if we taped a bottle rocket to one of Eric's space toys?" Kelso mused, sucking on a lollipop that he'd stolen from Fez.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, let's get one thing clear: they're Star Wars models, not space toys," Eric scoffed. "And we're not taping anything to them."

"Aww, Eric, you're just no fun" Kelso sighed, stretching his arm out around Jackie. She smiled and settled back into his body.

Hyde's stomach suddenly let out a loud growl, causing everyone to look at him.

"Damn, Hyde, get some fries," Eric laughed. Hyde just rolled his eyes and got up to go the bathroom, trying to keep his hunger pangs at bay.

When he returned to the table, he saw a beautiful sight; a basket of perfect golden French fries. He tried not to start drooling as he plopped down and said nonchalantly, "Hey, who's fries?"

"They're mine," Jackie said breezily. Kelso and Fez were gone, playing the pinball machine and Forman was doing his homework like the dweeb he was.

Knowing that Jackie bought the fries meant that Hyde couldn't just casually grab some. And he wasn't going to ask her if he could; he hadn't stooped that low. But she pushed the basket towards him.

"Wanna share?"

They sat and ate French fries, making fun of their friends and making casual conversation, until Hyde's stomach started rumbling again.

"Uh, sorry 'bout that," Hyde almost blushed.

"That's okay, I bought two," Jackie replied, grabbing another basket of fries from the empty table next to them.

"Sometimes your money really comes in handy, Burkhart," he smiled, waiting for her to make a snarky comment. But she just laughed. Hyde thought it was the best sound he'd ever heard.


	11. You're Warm

" **You're warm"**

Jackie stumbled down the stairs to the basement and flopped onto the couch. _Good thing I'm so tiny_ , she thought, _I can actually sleep comfortably on this old thing_. She had been feeling sick all afternoon, but she had a biology test last period that she just couldn't miss, so she stuck it out. Now, she curled up on the couch with her eyes shut tight, trying to stop shivering.

The relative peace of the basement was lost when the door opened. _Guess the gang's here_.

"Jackie? You okay?"

"Ai, she is in a cursed sleep and can only be awoken by the kiss of a passionate lover...I volunteer!" _God, Fez was a perv._

Jackie just groaned and curled up tighter. Why was it so cold in Eric's stupid basement anyways?

Suddenly, she felt a cold hand on her forehead. "Fez, you weirdo, stop touching me," she whined, trying to twist away from him.

"Hey, don't worry, babe, it's just me." Hyde. Ever since they had started dating, Jackie felt calm whenever she heard his voice. Even when they were fighting, she still felt that same peaceful feeling whenever he spoke.

"Steven, stop touching-

"You're warm," he interrupted. "Can you get up by yourself?" Jackie cracked her eyes open to see his blue eyes staring at her, his sunglasses hanging on his shirt. _Wow, he must really be worried if he took his shades off._

"I mean, proba-

But Hyde had already slipped his hands under her back and legs and swung her up off the couch.

"You need to sleep in a real bed, Burkhart," she could practically _hear_ him smiling.

As he gently set her down on his bed, Jackie heard Fez say "Ai, why does he never carry me like that?"

She giggled and smiled up at Hyde. _Huh….I feel better already._


	12. Do You Want To Come Too?

" **Do you want to come too?"**

Hyde liked being a lone wolf. No one to answer to, no one to drag along behind him….no one to hurt him. But sometimes, it could get a little lonely; all his friends were in relationships and they frequently left him alone in the basement. Like tonight, for example.

"Eric, do we _have_ to see this movie?" Donna was pleading with Eric as they put on their coats.

"Donna, it's the new James Bond; of course we have to see it," Eric laughed and turned to Hyde. "Girls are weird, man."

Before they could leave, the basement door burst open, Kelso and Jackie already arguing as they walked in.

"But Jackie, the movie's called _The Cat From Outer Space_! We _have_ to see it!" Kelso was whining, but Jackie ignored him and dropped down onto the couch.

"Michael, I'm tired of seeing space movies! And a cat? In space? I'm sorry, Michael, but that's just stupid." she rolled her eyes.

"Okay, uh, as fun as this argument would be to watch, we're gonna go," Eric said quickly, he and Donna making their escape. Normally, Hyde would've been annoyed, but it would be nice to have company for a little while….even if it was these two morons.

"Well damn, Jackie, what do you want to do then?" Kelso flopped into the folding chair, his legs spread out and arms hanging over the sides of the chair.

Hyde looked over to Jackie and saw she was suppressing a smile, her eyes shining because she knew she had won (like she always did).

"Oh, Michael, can we go to the arcade?" she pressed her hands together. "They got a new skee-ball machine and you _know_ I love skee-ball!"

"I guess," Kelso sighed, but Hyde knew Kelso was just glad they weren't going to the mall or some girly shit like that.

Kelso and Jackie got up to leave, Kelso sliding his arm around Jackie's waist.

"See ya, Hyde," he called over his shoulder. Jackie, however, had stopped walking, turning back to face Hyde.

"Hey Steven….do you want to come too?" Jackie asked. _Is it just me, or does she sound nervous?_

Hyde stared at her, shocked that she would ask him if he wanted to go _anywhere_ with her, much less tag along on her date night with Kelso.

"Uh….yeah, that sounds fun," Hyde was surprised to hear himself say. She had caught him off guard, and he couldn't think of a suitable excuse as to why he couldn't come. Also….well, he _did_ want to go.

"Alright!" Kelso fist-pumped. "We can do that thing where we stick a paperclip in the machine slot and get it to give us all the tickets!"

He was so excited that he ran out of the basement, leaving Jackie and Hyde in the basement, still looking at each other.

"So….why do you want me to crash date night?" he grinned as he stood up and shrugged on his jacket.

"Well," Jackie looked around a little helplessly. "I mean, it was just too depressing! All of us going off and doing things while you sit here in this dirty basement. And, besides," she turned towards the door. "Now you can occupy Michael so I can play skee-ball and win that stuffed unicorn they're giving away."

Hyde smiled at that, following her out the door and towards Kelso's van.

That night, he and Kelso did the thing with the paperclip and got a whole armful of tickets. He took them and went up to the counter to claim his prize.

His _real_ prize, however, was the look on Jackie's face when he presented her with that dumb unicorn.


	13. Close Your Eyes And Hold Out Your Hands

" **Close your eyes and hold out your hands"**

Jackie liked spending the night at Donna's house. Sure, her dad was weird and the house smelled like poor people, but at least Donna and her dad were a family. They loved each other. Sometimes, when she and Donna were hanging out in her room, listening to records and taking some quiz in Cosmo, Jackie liked to imagine that this was what having a sister was like.

"Donna, don't you have _any_ ABBA records? I guess I haven't rubbed off enough on you," Jackie sighed, flipping the magazine page.

"Yeah, what a tragedy," Donna said sarcastically. Jackie opened her mouth to fire back, but she was interrupted by a knock on the door.

"Come in," Donna called, still sprawled across her bed.

The door swung open to reveal Hyde, clad (as usual) in his old jeans and a Zeppelin shirt.

"Hey, what's up?" Donna said, but Hyde strode across the room to Jackie and said excitedly, "Close your eyes and hold out your hands."

"Oh, no no no," Jackie shook her head and backed away. "Michael used to play this game all the time. One time he squirted a tube of toothpaste into my hands. That was _not_ a good day."

"Jackie, just shut up and put your hands out," Hyde said impatiently. He had his own hands behind his back and Jackie shuddered to think what he would dump into her well-manicured hands.

"Okay, but if it's a frog, you're a dead man." Jackie squeezed her eyes shut and tentatively held out her hands. She felt something small and smooth drop into her upturned palms.

Opening her eyes, she saw-

"It's that charm you lost off your bracelet last week," Hyde said. He was smiling that soft smile that he really only reserved for Jackie (and Mrs. Forman).

"Steven!" Jackie gasped, staring at the tiny golden heart. "I can't believe you found it!"

"Yeah well, Forman and I were shootin' hoops in the driveway and I just saw it, so I brought it over here" He was still grinning like a dope.

Looking back on that day, Jackie and Hyde would both laugh at the fact that Hyde was the one who found her heart.


	14. It's Not Heavy I'm Stronger Than I Look

" **It's not heavy. I'm stronger than I look"**

"I just don't understand why you don't trust me!" Jackie was yelling. Getting in a fight wasn't exactly what Hyde had wanted to do tonight, but Jackie was always making him do things he didn't want to do.

"Jackie, of course I trust you, it's just hard to when you flirt with every guy in sight!" Hyde paced away from her, trying to end this before they said things they didn't mean. When you both know each other inside and out, you know exactly what to say to cut the deepest. They had learned that the hard way. "You're always flipping your hair and giggling and I'm gettin' real tired of it, Jackie!"

"Okay, first of all, I'm not flirting! I'm just being nice! I can't help being beautiful, Steven!" she had thrown herself down on the basement couch, angrily yanking off her sandals. "And secondly, you _don't_ trust me! I don't know why! You know I would never leave you! God, I love you, Steven. Even when you act like an ass!"

Hyde didn't have a response. Her words were echoing in his head: _You know I would never leave you_. Did he, though? His life had been one goodbye after another. No one ever really stuck around. And was this why he got angry when he saw Jackie with other guys? Because she was so smart and funny and kindhearted….why would she stay with a loser like him?

Jackie had noticed he was no longer arguing and she quickly got up and walked towards him, placing her hand on his arm.

"Steven? Are you okay?" She looked concerned, and Hyde knew that their fight had already been forgotten.

He grabbed her hand, holding it tightly, and looked into her eyes, hoping that he could say this right.

"Jackie, I love you. You know that. And sometimes….well, sometimes I forget that you love me, too. Everyone leaves me behind, and I guess I'm waiting for the day that you realize I'm not good enough and you leave, too."

Jackie put a hand on his cheek, tenderly cradling his worried face.

"Steven, that's not going to happen. I know we fight, but I will _always_ come back to you."

Hyde sighed and sat down on the couch, Jackie following his lead. She held his hand, rubbing small circles with her thumb.

"I know, baby, I know," he muttered. "It's not your fault that my life is the way it is. Just doesn't see fair to make you have to deal with my baggage. It's heavy stuff, Burkhart."

Jackie rolled her eyes. "Oh, Steven, it's not heavy. And besides," she leaned in and kissed him softly on the lips. "I'm stronger than I look."

Hyde was struck dumb by this statement. Here was the girl he had once found so annoying and mean and rude, sitting here telling him that she loved him. That, no matter what happened, she could carry them through.

"Jackie…." he was struggling to find the words to express how much she meant to him.

"I know," she smiled, squeezing his hand.

Hyde kissed her, trying to make it clear how he felt. Jackie responded in kind, deepening their kiss and bringing her hands to the collar of his shirt. She had started to undo the buttons when she broke the kiss and stared straight into Hyde's eyes. God, he loved her eyes. One green, one brown. You couldn't notice it, though, unless you were as close as they were right now. Hyde liked to think that he was one of the few people who had gotten close enough to see it; one of the few people who had gotten close enough to really know Jackie.

"Steven?"

"Yeah, sweetheart?" he had started to kiss up and down her neck, trying to get close, so close, trying to show her how much he cared.

"You're never gonna leave _me_ , right?"

Hyde stopped short and quickly met her eyes again. She looked unsure, which was not something that anyone associated with Jackie Burkhart.

"Jackie, I love you. I'll always be here." Hyde slid his hand over her heart, feeling the reassuring pulse of her heartbeat. Jackie giggled and kissed him lightly on the lips.

"Good. I just needed to hear you say it, baby."

"I'll never stop saying it." Hyde did his special goofy smile that he only did for her. She kissed him and started to pull his shirt off, as he slid his hands around her waist, holding her as tightly as he could. _This is love, man._

That night, after Jackie had fallen asleep, Hyde looked down at her and wondered how he had gotten so lucky.


	15. Sweet Dreams

" **Sweet dreams"**

Jackie was drunk. She wasn't sure when she had come to this realization, but it was probably around the time she had tried to kiss Donna. To explain; the guys had wanted to have a bonfire in Eric's backyard (his parents were out of town) and of course, they brought booze. Jackie, usually so clear-headed, had decided to let loose. She kept drinking the beers that Fez and Michael were pressing into her hands, and then she had been overcome with a desire to kiss Donna, just to show her how much their friendship meant to Jackie.

"Jackie, no!" Donna squealed. She wasn't exactly sober, either. They both giggled as the rest of the guys looked on excitedly.

"Oh, this is exactly how it starts in all of the dirty movies," Fez whispered to Eric.

"Yeah, I mean….I'm not gonna stop 'em," Eric laughed nervously.

"Aww, this is just like how I've always imagined it," Kelso grinned like a dope.

Jackie whipped her head around to glare at the guys. "Donna, why are all boys such pervs?"

"That's a good question, Jackie," Donna hiccuped. They both lapsed back into giggles when Jackie slid off the bench they were both sitting on.

"Oopsie daisy!" she burst out laughing.

"Oh, alright!" Kelso pumped his fist in the air. "We are SO gonna do it tonight!"

Hyde wrinkled his nose. Sure, Kelso was their friend, but he could be a real creep sometimes. Setting his beer on the small table they had dragged out into the yard, Hyde made his way over to Jackie.

"You okay there, Burkhart?"

She smiled up at him from the ground. "Steven, I'm so tired. I wanna go to sleep."

"Hey Kelso, I think you need to take Jackie home," Hyde called.

"Nah, she's good," Kelso waved him off. "I wanna stay here."

"But-", Hyde looked down at a drowsy Jackie. "Oh, come on!" he muttered to himself. But he couldn't leave her asleep on the ground. God knows when Kelso would decide it was time to go home. And even then, could Hyde really leave her at Kelso's mercy? She was basically unconscious and Kelso still wanted to do her, for Christ's sake.

 _God, I'm an idiot_ , Hyde thought to himself as he crouched down and propped Jackie up.

"Hey, I'm gonna take you inside so you can go to sleep, ok?" he said as he pulled her up on her feet and draped her arm around his shoulders.

"Sounds good, Steven," she slurred, leaning heavily on him.

"Hey Forman, it's cool if she sleeps in Laurie's room, right?" Hyde said, as he dragged Jackie towards the back door. The rest of the gang had been planning on spending the night anyways, so Hyde knew it wasn't _completely_ ridiculous for Jackie to sleep over.

"Yeah man, just make sure she doesn't puke anywhere. Red would kill me," Eric said, turning back to Donna.

"Alright, come on," Hyde towed Jackie into the house and through the living room, but she stopped at the stairs.

"Steven, I can't," she groaned, shaking her head.

"Jackie, just-

"No, I can't!" she yelled. Hyde shut his eyes, trying to summon up the patience to deal with this pint-sized terror. After a few seconds, he made sure she had her arm firmly around his shoulders and then scooped her up into his arms.

"Oh my gosh, you're so strong!" Jackie squealed, tightening her hold around his neck.

"Yeah, yeah," Hyde rolled his eyes as he carried her up the stairs and into Laurie's room. As he set her down on the bed, she smiled at him again and Hyde could feel his pulse speeding up. It would be so nice to just lay down next to her and go to sleep with her in his arms but….well, that just wasn't an option. _Man, I gotta stop drinking like this_ , Hyde thought. _Got me thinking sappy shit about Jackie, of all people._

"Well, I'm gonna go now…." he trailed off as his hand fumbled for the door knob in the dark.

"Thank you, Steven. You're a good guy, you know? You're gonna make some girl real happy one day." Jackie smiled dopily at him and Hyde felt his heart twisting in his chest.

"Yeah, well uh….sweet dreams, Burkhart." he smiled carefully back at her.

As he went back downstairs, he couldn't help but think that the only girl he really wanted to make happy was upstairs, probably having sweet dreams about anyone but him.


	16. I'll Help You Study

" **I'll help you study"**

Jackie was glad she didn't have cheerleading practice today. It was early November, and winter was starting to descend on Point Place as she walked briskly down the street towards Eric's house. _No homework, either_ , she grinned to herself. _Now I can stay late enough to watch_ WKRP in Cincinnati _with everyone!_

As she walked down the stairs to the basement, she heard a loud thump and saw the basement door shake on its hinges, as if someone had thrown something at it.

She carefully pushed the door open, hoping to avoid getting hit with anything, and was shocked to see Hyde sitting on the couch, surrounded by….school work? _Well, that's new._ Jackie looked down to see that the object that had hit the door was an Algebra textbook.

"Oh, great," Hyde had noticed her at the door. "What do you want?"

"Well, hello to you, too," Jackie sniffed, dropping down into the folding chair.

Hyde sighed, rubbing his eyes. "Jackie, I'm really not in the mood fo-

"Why were you throwing your textbooks? And are you _actually_ doing homework?" she interrupted. Hyde looked at her, trying to weigh the pros and cons of actually starting a conversation with her. He must've decided to spill, because he sighed heavily again.

"I'm not doing too hot in math this year. Red told me he doesn't mind me living in his house, so long as I keep my grades up. I can't let him and Mrs. Forman down." he grabbed a notebook that was sitting on the table.

Jackie was silent. Hyde had always pretended not to care about grades, but the whole gang knew that he spent a lot of time in his little back room studying. And he was a smart guy! He wasn't gonna turn out like his parents, that was for sure.

She got up and retrieved the math textbook off the ground.

"Burkhart, what are you doing?" Hyde sighed. _I wish he would stop doing that; it's really annoying._

"I'll help you study," Jackie said, coming to sit next to him on the couch. "I'm actually pretty good at math.

"You don't have to-

"Shut up, Steven. I know I don't have to….I want to. Now, what exactly is giving you trouble?"


	17. The Key Is Under The Mat

" **The key is under the mat"**

"Alright, I guess I'll see you guys when you get back!" Jackie's tone was cheerful, but forced. Her parents would never know, though. They liked to imagine that they were impossibly close to their only child, and Jackie hated to rob them of this daydream.

She hung up the phone and stared out the kitchen window. Her house was empty and quiet. Jackie hated it. She liked the Forman's house. Yes, it was small and tacky, but it was always filled with people, laughing and making dinner and watching TV. She would've gone straight over there, but Eric and his parents had gone to visit his aunt in Chicago. And, even if she went over there, no one else would be there. Kelso and Fez were at a double feature at the movie, some space man crap that only they liked. And Donna had promised her dad she would take him to the mall, so she wasn't available to hang out until later.

Jackie was lonely. She didn't like to admit it, but that was the plain truth. And, with all of her friends otherwise occupied, it looked like that wasn't about to-

 _Oh my gosh, what about Steven? Maybe he's there._ Jackie shook her head, surprised that she could forget about him. He was always in the basement. But the phone at the Forman's rang and rang and Jackie's heart grew heavy in her chest. _Maybe he's still at work?_ She dialed the number for the Foto Hut, breathless as she hoped he would pick up.

"Yeah?"

"Steven?"

"Jackie, what the hell do you want?"

"When do you get off work?"

"Half an hour. Why?"

"Well, um," she trailed off, twirling the phone cord around her fingers. "You see, my parents are out of town and I wanted to go over to Eric's but I know the Forman's are out of town right now and I was wondering when you would be back, so then I would know when I could come over." She held her breath, hoping he wouldn't tell her she wasn't welcome to come.

"Your parents aren't home?" he asked.

"Nope."

"Just head over to the Forman's now. The key is under the mat. And Burkhart," she heard him smile. "See you when I get home."


	18. It's Okay I Couldn't Sleep Anyway

" **It's okay. I couldn't sleep anyway"**

Jackie couldn't sleep. It wasn't for lack of trying. Hyde had been tossing and turning all night and she kept waking up. Finally, he got up and went to the bathroom. Jackie lay there on his tiny cot, wondering what was up with him.

This was the first time she had really spent the night. Usually, they would get so caught up in "making love," as Jackie liked to say, that they would lose track of time. Hyde would then insist that she sleep over because "the roads are dangerous, Burkhart! I mean, Fez is giving out driver's licenses! Who _knows_ who he's let on the road?" Jackie would always laugh and fall back into bed with him, and they would both be asleep in a matter of minutes.

Tonight, however, she had planned on spending the night. She brought a change of clothes for the next day and everything! But Hyde had been restless, alternating between gripping her almost too tightly and then rolling over with his back to her.

He finally came back, and was greeted by the sight of Jackie sitting up and waiting patiently for him.

"Oh man, did I wake you up?" Hyde looked pissed at himself.

"It's okay. I couldn't sleep anyway," Jackie patted the bed next to her. "Now, why don't you sit down and tell me what's keeping you up?"

Hyde eased himself onto the bed, and Jackie leaned her head on his shoulder and started winding her fingers through his own.

"You know it's been almost 5 years since my mom left?" He finally said. "5 years, and no calls, no letters….no nothing."

 _This must've been why he was so restless tonight._ Jackie knew that Hyde never talked about his mom, unless he was cracking a joke about being an orphan, or having a deadbeat family.

"Wow," she said, still concentrating on their fingers. "That's a long time, Steven. About as long as we've been friends with each other."

"Yeah….huh." he chuckled.

"What?"

"Just doesn't seem like that long ago….I remember Kelso bringing you in the basement and telling us you were his girlfriend." He laughed again. "Man, were we all pissed."

"Well,it turned out alright in the long run, didn't it?" Jackie said, cuddling closer to him.

"Yeah….yeah, it did."

Jackie knew he was still thinking about his mom. Even though he knew he was better off living with the Forman's, he still wondered where Edna was, what she was doing….hell, if she was even still alive.

"Steven, everything happens for a reason. Didn't you tell me that when you were teaching me how to be zen?" she giggled. "God, that was _years_ ago! Makes me feel old."

"You got a point, doll?" he kissed the top of her head.

"Well, everything happens for a reason. Yeah, your mom left and that _sucks_ , it really does. But now you live with a family who cares about you, and you know when your next meal is coming, and you aren't cold in the winter because you outgrew your coat." Jackie drew back and looked into his clear blue eyes. She so rarely got to see him without his sunglasses, and she loved the icy color of his eyes. "Steven, you lost your mom. But you gained a family. And things are better for you now."

Hyde looked away. "You know, you're onto something, Burkhart."

"Oh, Steven, you _must_ know by now; I've _always_ got all the answers." she put her head on his chest and could feel the vibrations of his laughter.

He wrapped his arm around her and carefully lowered her back onto the bed. She twined their fingers together again as she felt him settle in behind her.

"Hey, Jackie?"

"Yeah, Puddin'?"

"If everything happens for a reason...then what was the reason behind you dating Kelso all those years before finally realizing I'm the best guy for you?" she knew he was smirking his signature Steven Hyde smirk.

She rolled over to face him. "Well, you had to know what you were missing." she stuck her tongue out. Hyde responded by pressing a kiss to her lips.

"I'm glad I'm not missing it anymore, babe."

"Oh, Steven….me, too."


	19. Drive Safely

" **Drive safely"**

It was snowing. Hyde always loved the snow, even when it was piling up in small mountains around them and turning black with dirt. It just reminded him of being a kid, or something. But he knew that snow meant one thing to Mrs. Forman: anxiety. She saw snow fall and immediately assumed that the roads turned into icy death traps, just waiting to kill "her boys." So Hyde had gotten in the habit of calling her before he left for home on snowy days. Eric had always done that, and Hyde used to give him shit for it, but now he understood. When people care about you, it's nice to care about them back.

While Leo was closing up the Foto Hut, Hyde dutifully dialed up Mrs. Forman.

"Forman residence, Jackie Burkhart speaking."

Hyde snorted. "Yeah, hey, it's me."

"What do you want, Steven?" she sounded irritated.

"Can you put Mrs. Forman on?"

"She's at the grocery store."

Hyde drummed his fingers on the counter. "Well, when she gets back, can you tell her I'm headed home from work, and that I'll be careful?"

Jackie laughed. "Oh, it's snowing already? I'll keep that in mind."

"Will you tell her?"

"Of course I will," she paused. "And, Steven?"

"Yeah?"

"Drive safely."

Hyde rolled his eyes, but he had to smile. "Will do, Jackie."


	20. I Saved Some For You

" **I saved some for you"**

Before she had started dating Michael, Jackie had never smoked pot before. That was something that hippie burnout losers did, and Jackie Burkhart was _not_ a hippie burnout loser. But after that fateful day when Hyde and Eric had finally invited her into a circle, she understood. She wasn't like Hyde, who needed it to handle whatever crap his life would throw at him that day, or Eric, who used pot as his own small rebellion against his parents. Fez and Michael just did it for that magic, floaty feeling it could give you.

Jackie liked the circle. She liked the feel of a joint in her hand, the slight burn in her chest as she sucked in smoke and then passed it to the next person. She liked the way she thought of a million different things, and the way food tasted better. But most of all, she knew that getting to be in the circle was a mark of honor. Hyde didn't share his stash with just _anyone_. Out of all of them, Jackie was the one who took circle time the most serious. It was a ritual, one that kept them together, even if there was fighting, or frustration. Circle time was sacred.

So that's why she was getting more angry with every step she took down the basement steps. That familiar, acrid smell that followed Hyde wherever he went was heavy in the air. _I can't believe they started without me! They_ knew _I was coming over!_

She wrenched the door open and was met with that same old familiar scene. Hyde, Eric, Donna, and Michael were all seated around the little table, a haze of smoke encircling the whole room.

"Hey, Jackie's here!" Donna cried. "Jackie, Jackie, Jackie….whacky….tacky….snack...y." She punched Eric on the shoulder. "Eric, we need snacks."

Jackie rolled her eyes and stomped over to Michael, dropping into his lap. "I can't believe you guys started without me," she whined, giving all of them the stink-eye.

"Aww, Jackie," Michael started to bluster. "It was just one of those days, ya know?" He smiled lazily and leaned his forehead on hers. She pulled away and exchanged annoyed glances with Hyde.

"Still can't believe I turned cheerleader prom queen Barbie into a regular old stoner," Hyde laughed, then coughed as he got a mouthful of smoke. Then, he started rummaging around in his pocket. "And don't get all bent outta shape, sweetheart," he said, as he pulled a baggie out of his pocket. "I saved some for you."

"Steven," she let out a deep breath and smiled her biggest, school-picture-day smile. "You're the best."

Hyde didn't stop smiling for the rest of the night.


	21. It Brings Out Your Eyes

" **It brings out your eyes"**

Hyde didn't know how Jackie did it, but she had a real knack for making people do things they didn't wanna do. For example, right now, Hyde was sitting in the bed of his El Camino, one arm draped around Jackie, at the scenic overview on Mt. Hump.

"See, Steven, isn't this nice? It's getting warm out, summer's almost here, and it's a beautiful day! Aren't you glad I made you come out here?"

"Oh, I'm thrilled," he deadpanned, shutting his eyes behind his sunglasses. Jackie responded by leaning her head on his shoulder. Hyde dropped his head on top of hers lazily. He would never admit it, but the early summer sun _did_ feel nice. It also felt nice to be here with Jackie. _Wow, never thought I'd be saying that._ But lying in the sun with your chick, knowing that you were definitely gonna get to do it in the bed of the El Camino later….man, Hyde's life couldn't get better.

"Steven?"

"Yeah, baby?" he mumbled drowsily.

"Why don't you like sunny days?"

"Who says I don't?" Hyde felt her lift her head off his shoulder and knew Jackie was about to start some discussion about how dark and grim he could be, when she _should_ be soaking up the sunshine.

"You do. All the time." Jackie stated simply, squinting at him. Hyde pulled his sunglasses off and placed them on the bridge of her nose.

"Here, these'll help." he stifled a grin at the sight of her with his huge aviators on, almost sliding off her face. "Why do you like the sun so much, then?"

"The sky is blue," she said, turning her face towards the sun. "And blue's my favorite color."

They were both quiet again, Hyde pulling Jackie back into his chest.

"It brings out your eyes, you know." she said simply.

"What does?"

"The blue skies, dumbass! Why do you think blue's my favorite color?"


	22. Can I Hold Your Hand?

" **Can I hold your hand?"**

Jackie hated horror movies. They were scary and made her jump, and Michael thought that seeing those movies made her "a million times hornier, man!" In reality, they just made her afraid to go to sleep, afraid to walk home from Eric's house in the dark, and afraid to have sex. I mean, it wasn't a coincidence that the slutty girls always died and the virgins always lived!

But they were showing some slasher flick at the Point Place movie theater tonight, and the whole gang was going. Jackie _had_ to go.

As they all filed into their seats, Jackie found herself separated from Michael, seated between Donna and Hyde. _Oh, great. Now I don't have anyone to hide my face with!_

The movie started, as they always did, with some psycho escaping from prison and heading to his old hometown where everyone had wronged him years before. Jackie had her fists clenched in her skirt, trying not to instinctively grab onto whoever was sitting next to her. But as the murderer jumped out from behind a tree, lunging at a helpless girl, Jackie couldn't help it. She slammed her face into Hyde's chest and latched her hands around his leg.

"Jackie, what're you-

"Just give me a second!" she interrupted his angry whisper. She flinched as she heard that tell-tale sound of a knife slashing into someone's flesh, strengthening her hold on Hyde's leg.

She almost jumped out of her skin when she felt a hand on top of hers.

"Hey, you gotta loosen up here, kid. My leg ain't a stress toy." Jackie released his leg suddenly. _What am I doing? Grabbing onto Hyde? Oh my God, I bet he thinks I'm a total geek now!_

"Uh, sorry about that," she whispered back. But as the killer made another appearance on the screen, she screwed her eyes shut and clenched her fists, trying to stop herself from screaming.

"Hey, Burkhart," she heard Hyde whisper to her. "Um….can I hold your hand?"

"What?"

"I, uh….I get scared."

Well, that was just a lie. Hyde loved anything scary; Halloween was his favorite holiday. Jackie was confused and opened her mouth to interrogate him. "Steven, what are you-

"Jackie, just hold my hand before you run outta this theater screaming!" Hyde snapped.

"Shhh!" the rest of the gang chorused, all completely focused on the murderer's latest victim.

Jackie looked down at Hyde's outstretched palm. His hands weren't as big as Michael's, but they were tougher. His palms were calloused and rough, and Jackie knew hers were soft and white in comparison. But, against her better judgement, she slipped her hand into his.

It felt….nice. His hands weren't sweaty, like Michael's. He didn't hold on too tightly. Just a simple, reassuring presence. He would squeeze her hand when he noticed her flinching, or hiding her face from the gore on screen.

As the lights came up and they all filed out of the theater and back to Kelso's van, Jackie suddenly noticed that she was still holding Hyde's hand. Luckily, no one else had noticed. Michael would've freaked out! She dropped her hand from Hyde's, and he looked startled to find that their hands were no longer clasped together.

"Um, thanks for….in there," Jackie wasn't sure how to thank someone simply for being there for her. "I get pretty scared, huh?"

"Burkhart, if I hadn't held you down, you would've been bouncing off the walls." Hyde laughed as they waited for their friends to catch up. Fez had gotten distracted by the candy counter(he always did), and the rest of the group was trying to drag him away.

"How come you go see those things if they just turn you into a nervous wreck? I see the way you get all jumpy for a week after we watch anything vaguely creepy." he reached up to run his hand through his hair.

"Well, you guys all like them….and I don't wanna miss out on hanging out just because I'm a big wuss." Jackie kicked the ground, hoping he wouldn't make fun of her.

"Hmmm," was all he said, as the rest of the gang joined them and they all piled into the van and went back to Eric's.

After that, Jackie noticed that, whenever they watched horror movies, Hyde made fun of them.

"Oh my God, that's so fake," he would jeer at the screen. "Okay, that doesn't even make sense! That's not how knives work!"

And, Jackie noticed, he was right. Once she looked closer, it _was_ all terrifically fake. And she wasn't really scared anymore. Hyde wasn't holding her hand, but he was still being that solid, dependable, reassuring presence. Jackie wasn't scared of anything when Hyde was around.


	23. I Brought You An Umbrella

" **I brought you an umbrella"**

There weren't any windows in the basement, but Hyde knew it was raining. He could hear it faintly tapping against the door, could smell that earthy, rain smell that he loved. And today, the rain fit his mood. He and Jackie had gotten into another fight the night before, something about how he was "content to just float along through life" and that he should "get serious about his future." The same thing they always fought about. She had stormed out of the basement last night after he told her this was his life, and if she didn't like the way he lived it, she could get the hell out of it.

He knew she'd be back. She always made her way back to the basement, telling him that she didn't mean to yell, she just knew he had so much "potential." And if she didn't, Hyde would find her and tell her he loved her, that he knew she wanted him to grow up, and he was gonna try to, if she would just forgive him. The guys would never know that, though. They thought Hyde was indifferent about his relationship with Jackie, that she was someone to have a laugh with and to fuck every other day. They didn't know how much Hyde loved her. And he planned to keep it that way. What he had with Jackie was special; he didn't want those knuckleheads knowing too much and somehow ruining it, like they always did.

Hyde stood up from his chair, stretching his arms into the air. He was all stiff; it was weird sleeping without his arms wrapped around Jackie. As he turned to get a soda from the freezer, he heard the door bang open.

Jackie was standing there, breathing heavily and soaked through.

"Jackie? What are you doing?" Hyde was surprised to see her, and even more surprised to see her in such a bedraggled state.

She help up a small, collapsible umbrella in her hand. "It's raining. I brought you an umbrella," she said breathlessly, and then she was across the room in a flash, throwing herself into Hyde's arms and kissing him with a passion that she usually reserved for the bedroom, the umbrella tossed on the table and forgotten. Hyde enthusiastically responded in kind, but drew back and studied her face, gently stroking her cheek with his thumb.

"So, what's with the umbrella?"

"I needed to justify why I was coming over here to myself," she said, and then she was kissing him again, kissing him like her life depended on it.

"Are we good, though?" Hyde interrupter again. Jackie rolled her eyes, playing with the hair at the nape of his neck

"We still need to talk, but I couldn't leave you so sad, Puddin'"

Hyde leaned his forehead against hers, meeting her eyes. "Okay, but Jackie, we need to talk. I don't want us to just….leave all these things unsaid."

"Since when does Steven Hyde prefer talking to making out with his super hot girlfriend?" Jackie breathed into his ear.

 _Oh, God._ Hyde felt that familiar tightness in his pants, that surge of adrenaline reaching from his head to his toes. Jackie was running her hands down his chest, fiddling with his belt buckle, thrusting her hips against his and he could feel her hot hands pressing-

"Steven?"

Hyde was jerked awake by the sound of the door slamming open. Jackie was standing in the doorway, soaking wet.

"Jackie? What're you doing here?" he said groggily, slowly pushing himself up off the couch.

She tossed something to him. "I brought you an umbrella. You alway forget, and it's raining and you'll get sick if you go around all wet and cold all day." And then she turned to leave.

"Wait, do you-

"Still mad at you, Steven," she called over her shoulder. "Come over tonight and _maybe_ we can talk about it."

And there Hyde was, alone in a musty basement, clutching onto a small blue umbrella. _Should've known it was a dream_ , he thought ruefully as he settled back onto the couch. _When has Jackie ever passed up the chance to talk about how I was bein' an ass?_

As he closed his eyes and started to drift off to sleep again, he smiled and thought, _I hope tonight picks up where my dream left off._


	24. Just Because

" **Just because"**

Hyde was a man of few words. It drove Jackie crazy. Every question was answered with "yeah" or "cool" or (worst of all) "whatever." Jackie _hated_ "whatever." It wasn't that she wanted Hyde to change….much. But he talked to her the same way he talked to Fez, or Eric. Short sentences, nothing for her to hold onto and say to herself, "He only says that to _me_. I'm special." But she lived with his silences, because she knew he didn't mean any harm by them. He just said exactly what he meant, no overflow into pointless sentences and words he didn't mean.

Today, as she lay on his bed, watching him straighten up his small bedroom, she understood why he liked silence so much. There wasn't anything to say. She was enjoying this easy quietness, a comfortable peace radiating throughout the whole room. Hyde was seated on the floor, carefully going through his record collection. But as he flipped through the records, a small photo sandwiched between two albums caught her eye. She shot her hand out, stopping Hyde from flipping further, and then slid out of the bed to sit on the floor next to him.

Pulling the photo out from between the records, Jackie was stunned to see that it was a picture of she and Hyde. But not a picture from after they started dating. This picture was old, probably from 1976, around when she had first started hanging out in the basement. In the picture, she was sitting on the couch and laughing her head off. And Hyde….Hyde was staring at her and it was clear he was in love. His sunglasses were off, and he was grinning like an idiot at her.

Jackie stared at the picture, then up at Hyde. He was looking down at the picture, too, smiling slightly at the memories it dredged up.

"This is from when Donna thought she wanted to be a photographer and was taking pictures of us all the time, remember?" he said. Jackie did. For a solid month, Donna had snapped photos of anything and everything, insisting that "great art comes from everyday activities!"

"How come I've never seen this one?" Jackie said, still studying the faded picture.

"When Donna developed all the pictures, she showed this one to me. Trying to make fun of me, ya know? And I told her to give me the picture and never speak of it again, or else I'd get everyone to start calling her 'Donna Pinch-My-Body' again." Hyde chuckled.

"Why didn't you want anyone to see it?" Jackie knew, but she wanted to hear him say it.

"Well….well, look at it, Jackie," he spluttered. "I look-I look like….well, it's just an embarrassing picture, okay?"

"How long have you had it?"

"Since….oh, I don't know….fall of '76?" he mused, getting lost in his own memories.

"So, why did you keep it all these years?" Jackie said, trying to hide the smile on her face.

Hyde blushed. "Well, uh….just because. It's a nice picture. I like it."

Jackie laughed and kissed him slowly, savoring the taste of his lips. When they broke apart, she whispered, "I like it, too."

Hyde was a man of few words, and that usually drove Jackie crazy, but not today. Hyde had told her everything she needed to know with two simple words: "just because." Those were the words he said when he couldn't make himself tell her what was deep in his heart. Those were the words he said on those dark days when she felt angry and impossible to love and demanded to know why he cared for her. It became a running joke between them; how much could be conveyed with those two words.

The picture of them, from all those years ago, no longer resides between the Eagles' _Hotel California_ and Fleetwood Mac's _Rumours_. It's propped up on Hyde's dresser, with the words "just because" scrawled across the back.


	25. Pull Over Let Me Drive For Awhile

**Author's Note: So we're a fourth of the way through this story and I just wanted to say thank you so much for all the support and lovely comments from you guys! I'm so happy that my stories have struck a chord with you, and I hope you keep reading :) Again, thank you so much for taking the time to read/comment/favorite my story; it means a lot to me! **

" **Pull over. Let me drive for awhile"**

It was late, and Hyde could barely keep his eyes open. The group had gone to a Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers concert and, as great as the show had been, the drive home was a real bitch. Kelso and Eric had taken turns driving up, and Donna was supposed to switch with Hyde at some point but, like everyone else in the car, she had promptly gone to sleep, leaning on Forman's shoulder.

 _Come on man, just 2 more hours_ , Hyde thought to himself, trying to fight against that drowsy feeling that usually accompanied smoking a few joints. Hey, it was a concert! He wanted to enjoy himself! But as he blinked rapidly, trying to concentrate on the quiet music coming from the radio, he found himself wishing he hadn't smoked _quite_ as much.

"Hey, Hyde?"

The sound of another voice scared him so badly, he almost swerved off the road. Breathing heavily, he looked over to his right and saw Jackie staring back at him, wide-eyed.

"Jesus, Jackie, you almost gave me a heart attack!"

"Sorry," she bit her lip. "How far away are we from Point Place?"

"We got about 2 more hours," Hyde exhaled, drumming his fingers on the steering wheel. "Go back to sleep."

"No, I'm not tired anymore. And besides, someone has to keep you company."

"No, they really don't," Hyde pressed his lips together.

Silence filled the car again, but Hyde could see Jackie fiddling with things in the car, opening and closing compartments.

"Hyde?"

"What?" he snapped.

"How come you wear sunglasses everywhere?" Jackie was peering at him curiously from under her lashes. Hyde wasn't a huge fan of where this conversation could lead, but at least she was keeping him awake.

"Hides my eyes. I can sleep in class and no one knows," he said shortly.

"Oh, come on," she exclaimed, then clapped a hand over her mouth as Kelso stirred on her other side. "That can't be the only reason." she continued in a whisper.

Hyde didn't know what to tell her. That wearing sunglasses inside made him look irreverent and disrespectful of authority, and that he dug that? That they hid his too-expressive eyes, masking his emotions from those around him? That he liked the golden haze the sunglasses gave the world, making it seem softer?

He settled on: "Well, they also make me look cool as hell."

Jackie snorted and went back to fiddling with the glove compartment. Silence filled the car again, but an uncomfortable silence; at least, it was for Hyde. He wanted to tell Jackie the truth about his glasses. Hell, he wanted to tell her a million things. She had that effect on him; something about her presence made him eager to spill every thought he'd ever had to her.

So, against his better wishes, he cleared his throat and said, "The glasses, they uh….make it easier to hide. No one sees me….and I only see people the way I want to." He wouldn't look over at Jackie. He couldn't meet her eyes.

"Hmm…." was all Jackie said. Hyde glanced over at her; she was studying his face seriously, and she didn't look away when he met her eyes.

"That satisfy your curiosity?" he finally managed to say.

"It answers some questions, yeah," Jackie said thoughtfully. They were both quiet again, but Hyde felt better, knowing that he wasn't keeping anything inside. The song on the radio was soft and beautiful, one that Hyde vaguely recognized.

 _Won't you tell me what you're thinking of_

 _Would you be an outlaw for my love_

 _If it's so, well, let me know_

 _If it's no, well, I can go_

 _I won't make you_

He could feel his eyes start to close again, but as he jerked them open, he heard Jackie say the sweetest words he'd ever heard.

"Pull over. Let me drive for awhile."


	26. I Saved You A Seat

" **I saved you a seat"**

Jackie bounced her way down the school hallways and through the door to the cafeteria, joining the line that stretched down the length of the counter. High school was a kingdom, and she was definitely one of the queens. She smiled at some girls she knew from the Social Committee and made a little small talk with Ed Bernard, the cute quarterback on the football team.

As the lunch lady dished out today's serving of mystery meat, Jackie wondered which table she would grace with her presence today. The cheerleaders? The rest of the rich kids who lived in her neighborhood? So many decisions!

She made her way out of the line, walking carefully towards the cheerleaders' table, when her attention was diverted.

"Alright! I got more tater tots than Eric!" she winced at that familiar voice. Michael Kelso, the doofus she had just started dating last week. He was the cutest guy in school, and decently popular, but he _insisted_ on spending all his down time in a dirty basement with a cast of misfits. He had taken her there a few days ago, and Jackie had tried to hide her distaste. I mean, why hang out with losers when you have the potential to join any of the popular groups?

"That is not fair, you took my tots! Of course you have more than Eric!" Oh God, and that was just the icing on the cake, wasn't it? Not only were they a group of losers, they hung out with the foreign exchange student!

She tried to glance surreptitiously over at them and winced. Michael was throwing tater tots at Steven Hyde, school burnout, while Eric Forman (a generic geek) and the foreign exchange kid fought over still more tater tots. Donna Pinciotti, who Jackie secretly thought was a lesbian, was watching the whole scene and laughing her head off.

 _Please don't see me, please don't see me_ , Jackie silently prayed as she neared their table.

"Jackie! Hey Jackie, come sit with me!" Jackie looked up to see Michael's face, a bendy straw jammed up one of his nostrils and groaned.

"Yeah," Hyde chuckled mischievously and patted an empty chair next to him. "I saved you a seat."

Jackie narrowed her eyes, glaring at him. He just smiled in response, and popped one of those stupid tater tots in his mouth.

Reluctantly, Jackie slowly shuffled over to their table and sat down between Michael and Hyde.

"Hey, look what Hyde did," Michael laughed, pointing to the straw sticking out of his nose.

"Michael, get that out of your nose! You look like an idiot!" Jackie hissed. But as Michael continued to snicker to himself, the rest of the table joining in, Jackie found herself hiding a smile behind her hand. I mean, it _was_ pretty funny. She could feel herself relaxing as the lunch period went on, doing away with her perfect posture and slouching in the hard plastic chair.

By the end of the lunch period, she was tossing tots and yelling "Burn!" with the rest of the gang. As she dissolved into giggles at the sight of Eric accidentally knocking a bottle of apple juice into Donna's lap, she caught Hyde's eye. He was grinning at her, and Jackie got the feeling he had had a little hit before lunch today. She smiled back, and he leaned closer.

"Aren't you glad I saved you a seat?" he said in his gravelly voice.

She cocked her head to the side and broke into a wide smile. They might be a gang of losers, potheads, and weirdos, but hey; she was having more fun than she _ever_ had at the popular table. _Maybe hanging out with these guys won't be so bad._ She laughed and, though she had no idea why, Hyde joined in.


	27. There Is Enough Room For You

" **There is enough room for you"**

Hyde was mad at Jackie. She didn't know. _This is quite the role reversal_ , Hyde thought bitterly, tipping his beer bottle up to his mouth and swallowing roughly. He, Kelso, and Fez were watching _The Muppet Show_. Well, Kelso and Fez were watching. They were singing and clapping along to the theme song like the idiots they were. Hyde was staring stormily at the TV screen, not registering the images flashing on screen.

Jackie hadn't _really_ done anything. It was more about what she _wasn't_ doing. Namely, Steven Hyde. Lately, Jackie had been insanely busy. If she wasn't at cheerleading practice, she was studying or working on a project. Last night, he had even gone over to her house, hoping to spend some time with her. " _No Steven,"_ she had said, shooing him out of the house. " _I've got a million things to do, I can't hang out right now."_

After she had shut the door in his face, he stood there for a good few seconds, shocked to the core. Jackie did a lot of things, but rejecting a boy's company was not one of them. _I haven't had sex in a week! A week!_ Hyde was going a little crazy from that, but he knew that it wasn't really about the sex. Okay, well it kinda was.

But Jackie's continued absence from his life was really getting to him. It was weird not having anyone to watch The Price Is Right with. It was weird coming into his room and not seeing her laying on his bed, flipping through one of his books. And it was weird to do a circle and not see her smiling like a goofball at him from across the table.

Later that night, after everyone had gone home and Eric had retreated back upstairs to his room, Hyde flopped down on his bed. Jackie hadn't been by that night. " _Yeah, she's got a big test in a few days that she's kinda freaking out about,"_ Donna had told him. A big test? A big test was what was keeping her away from him?

 _That's it._ Hyde pushed himself off his bed and grabbed his jacket, heading out of the basement and towards his car. _I'm gonna go give her a piece of my mind!_ On the way over to her house, he rehearsed different arguments in his head, like the huge dork that no one knew he was.

As he neared her house, he saw that the only car in the driveway was hers. _Good, now I don't have to throw rocks at her window, or some crap like that. That's something Forman would do._

He went up to the door and knocked loudly. A few seconds later, Jackie opened the door.

"Steven? What are you doing here?"

"Listen Jackie, we gotta talk," he brushed past her and into the house. She closed the door and wordlessly followed him into her living room. Hyde couldn't sit down; instead he paced nervously from one side of the room to the other.

"Okay, have you been avoiding me?" he finally burst out.

"What?" Jackie looked stunned. "No, I'm not avoiding you, why would you think that?"

"Because I haven't seen you at all this week! And, when I do, you're on your way somewhere else!" Hyde was trying to summon up a little more anger, but as he watched Jackie calmly fold her arms across her chest, he got the feeling he was overreacting a little bit.

"Steven, I've just had a lot on my plate-

"So much that you can't even come by the basement for, like, half an hour?" he growled.

Jackie narrowed her eyes, and Hyde knew he had just pushed her a little too far.

"Okay, yes! I've been busy this week! I have things to do! I have a life outside of Eric's basement, unlike _some_ people!" she snapped, taking a step closer to him.

 _Ouch. Okay, that hurt_. Hyde blew out the breath he had been holding and brought a hand up to the side of his face, rubbing his cheek thoughtfully.

"So, you're saying you've got time for all this other crap….but not me." he said quietly.

He had figured his softer tone and less-angry demeanor would cause Jackie to immediately melt, but no such luck.

"That's not what I'm saying," she huffed. "I'm just saying that you're not the only thing in my life! I'm not the only thing in your life! That's why our relationship works; we're not crazy dependent on each other." She had walked closer to him as she spoke, placing a hand on his arm.

Hyde was lost in thought, stuck on one thing she had said: _I'm not the only thing in your life_. But it felt that way sometimes. Some days, he found himself waiting impatiently in the basement, pacing around the couch, counting down the minutes until she would be there. This week, when he had hardly seen her at all, had been torture. I mean, what else did he have? A job as a cook at a crappy hotel? A TV set that stopped working when it rained? None of it compared to her.

Hyde glanced up at Jackie, noting the worried look in her eyes. He stretched his mouth into a thin-lipped smile, trying to reassure her….trying to reassure himself.

"Jackie….sometimes I look at your life, and I look at mine, and they don't add up. I've got all this," he gestured vaguely. "All this space. And you don't. I guess I was just….just worried that there wasn't enough room for me."

Jackie responded by slipping her arms around him, hugging him tightly. Hyde rested his chin on the top of her head, holding on to the one thing in his life he couldn't bear to lose.

"Steven, there is enough room for you. There will _always_ be enough room for you." she pulled back and cupped his cheek with her hand. "Even when I'm not with you, I'm thinking about you. I mean," she laughed. "Did you think I _liked_ being away from you this week?" She was running her hands down his back, moving closer to him.

Hyde gulped. "So, uh," he said as her hands came to his waist, resting on his belt buckle. "You missed me, too?"

"Of course I did, Puddin'" she bit her lip. Hyde knew she was just trying not to giggle, but damn it looked sexy. Hyde leaned in, kissing her slowly, feeling the heat between them. Jackie's hands were now furiously unbuckling his belt, yanking at his pants. He was responding in kind, pulling her shirt over her head and gently pulling at the zipper on her jeans.

They clumsily made their way to the couch, never breaking apart from each other, Hyde kicking off his boots and yanking his sunglasses off. He pulled his t-shirt off, and then stopped to marvel at her. Jackie was lying on the couch, looking for all the world like some sort of goddess. Her body was practically glowing, and she was smiling softly at him. She reached her hands up and brought him slowly towards her, laying a gentle kiss on his mouth, then kissing down his neck. Hyde groaned, closing his eyes and reveling in this feeling. The girl he loved, loved him back. Damn, there was nothing like it.

"Do you still think there's not enough room for you?" Jackie pressed him closer to her as he fumbled with her bra.

He stopped and smiled slyly at her. "I guess we're about to see."

"Steven!"

Her laugh was Hyde's favorite sound in the world.


	28. Go Back To Sleep

" **Go back to sleep"**

Hyde wasn't a great sleeper. He had no problem _getting_ to sleep but, more often than not, he would wake up after an hour or so and be wide awake. He usually spent these late night hours either watching whatever was on TV at 2 am, or reading. He had a stack of battered paperbacks piled up by his bed that he was constantly adding to. When you had about five extra hours in the day, it gave you a lot of time to learn the shit they didn't teach you in school.

Tonight, even with Jackie sleeping next to him, he had jolted awake around 1 am. Hyde always slept better with Jackie in his arms, but tonight it just wasn't happening. It might be due to the fact that Jackie was being none too peaceful, either. She was restless, tossing and turning, getting tangled up in the sheets.

Hyde carefully reached a hand over to his pile of books and grabbed one off the top. _The World According to Garp_ , one of his personal favorites. It was funny; even funnier after a joint or two. He started reading, liking the feeling of of Jackie burrowing into his side.

An hour or so had gone by, when Jackie started talking in her sleep. _Oh my God, this is great,_ Hyde thought gleefully. _I hope she says something embarrassing._ Disappointingly, most of her words were garbled, but he thought he could make out the words "no" and "please" and…. "Steven."

" _Steven"? What is she dreaming?_ He thought, closing his book and concentrating harder on Jackie.

He almost had a heart attack when Jackie suddenly sat straight up in bed, yelling "Steven!"

"What, what?" he yelled back, almost falling out of the bed.

She just sat there for a few seconds, breathing heavily. Then, she whipped her head around to him.

"Oh my God," she let out a breath, sounding relieved. "Everything's fine. You're still….everything's fine." She dropped her head against his shoulder, rubbing her eyes drowsily.

Hyde had a feeling he had been the star of her nightmare. He didn't even wanna know. As someone who had had their fair share of bad dreams, he knew it was better to forget them. So all he did was kiss the top of her head and guide her back to a lying down position.

"Go back to sleep, babe," he ran his fingers lightly through her hair. "I'll be here when you wake up. I always will."


	29. I Was In The Neighborhood

" **I was in the neighborhood"**

Hyde was in a funk. He had taken stupid Jackie to the stupid prom last weekend, and ever since then, he had just felt….off. Maybe it was having to wear a suit. Maybe it was having to dance in the school gym. Maybe it was seeing Jackie back in Kelso's arms by the end of the night. _Don't know why_ , he thought bitterly. _Not like she's anything to me._ But something about Kelso and Jackie together rubbed him the wrong way; had since day one.

He was spending this hot Wednesday night sitting on the porch of the dump he and Edna called home, doing two of his favorite things: drinking beer, and listening to Zeppelin.

 _I'm goin' 'round the world, I got to find my girl_

 _On my way_

 _I've been this way ten years to the day_

 _Ramble on_

 _Gotta find the queen of all my dreams_

Hyde frowned. The song was striking a certain chord with him, and he didn't appreciate it. _Betrayed by Zeppelin? What is this world coming to?_ He drained his beer and tossed the can on the ground.

As he reached for another can, he saw a familiar figure walking up to his door.

"Jackie, what the hell are you doing here?" Hyde was annoyed that she'd showed up, but also pretty impressed by how badass Jackie Burkhart could be. Hey, walking alone at night in his neck of the woods was not exactly a picnic.

She was up on his porch by now, leaning against the rotted wood railing. "I was….in the neighborhood." she said nonchalantly.

"Oh, bullsh-

"Do you wanna come to the movies? Me and Fez were gonna go see _Rocky_." she cut him off.

"You came all the way down here to tell me that?"

"Come on, Steven," she whined. "You haven't been around since prom and it's been weird without you." She did the puppy-dog eyes and they both knew he was a goner.

He sighed, and slowly pushed himself out of his chair. "Alright, fine."

Hyde looked into her eyes and saw a future that he could never have. Jackie looked into his eyes and didn't see anything; his sunglasses were in the way.


	30. What Do You Want To Watch?

" **What do you want to watch?"**

Everyone was, as usual, hanging out in Eric's basement, when Mrs. Forman called down the stairs, "Kids! I just finished the banana cream pie!"

"Alright!" Kelso was already scrambling over the back of the couch, jostling Jackie and Donna.

"Don't eat it all, you greedy son of a bitch!" Fez was hot on his heels, racing up the stairs to devour as much sugar as he could hold.

Donna and Eric were the last up the stairs. "Hey, do you guys not want any?" Eric poked his head over the bannister.

"No, I'm good," they said in unison, then both glanced at each other confusedly.

"Um….okay, that was weird," Eric laughed nervously, then shot back up the stairs.

Hyde and Jackie settled into their familiar silence. _I never feel like I have to talk to fill up the quiet_ , Jackie thought to herself, pulling her legs up on the couch and tucking them underneath her.

Hyde was flicking through channels, seemingly disinterested with everything that was on. Jackie was zoning out, when she heard Hyde say, "What do you want to watch?"

Jackie was stunned. Hyde never asked what anyone wanted to watch. He always controlled the TV when he was in the basement. No one really minded (except for Fez when he wanted to watch _Land of the Lost)_.

"Um…" Jackie's mind was blank. _What TV shows do I even watch? Why can't I think of anything?_

As he flipped through, she saw a familiar image. "Oh, put on _Bonanza_."

"Nice choice, Burkhart," Hyde's mouth quirked up at the side. Jackie had spent enough time with him now to know that that meant he wanted to smile, but he also didn't want to ruin his sullen rebel image.

Jackie bit back a smile of her own as the rest of the group stomped down the stairs.

"Aw, _Bonanza_? Who likes this crap?" Fez groaned.

"I do," Jackie and Hyde said in unison again. This time, neither one bothered to hide their smiles.


	31. One More Chapter

" **One more chapter"**

Hyde never knew quite how it had started, but somewhere along the line, he had started reading aloud to Jackie most nights. Nothing special; just whatever was on hand. Articles in _Rolling Stone_ , passages from her science textbook, chapters from sci-fi novels Hyde picked up at the grocery store. He would read as she did her math homework, or when they were both trying to go to sleep. Hyde would wrap an arm around her and start reading and, soon enough, she'd be out like a light.

If Hyde was being honest, reading aloud wasn't one of his favorite things to do. Hell, it made him feel like a kindergarten teacher or something. But once he started, he couldn't stop. Jackie loved it. Hyde would never tell anyone (especially not Jackie), but he suspected it was because her own parents never read her bedtime stories as a kid. And, as annoying as she could be, Hyde knew what it was like to have parents who didn't care. He hated to think about Jackie going through that. So, he read her bedtime stories.

That night, he was, God help him, reading _The Princess Bride_. Someone had left it in a room at the hotel and it had sounded right up Jackie's alley. I mean, a princess bride? That was everything Jackie wanted to achieve in her life. Hyde would never tell, but he was also enjoying the book. It had pirates and crazy people and torture dungeons! Badass, right?

"'He groped around, found a perfect rock for throwing; it just fit his hand. Then he moved to the sharp turn in the path, backed off into deepest shadow. Unseen, silent, he waited patiently with his killing rock, counting the seconds until the man in black would die….'" Hyde looked up from the book. "That's the end of the chapter, kiddo."

Jackie, half-asleep, groaned softly.

"No, I have to know what happens," she rolled over, smushing her face into his pillow. "What's gonna happen to the man in black?" her voice was muffled.

"Guess we'll find out tomorrow," Hyde was slipping off his boots, ready to go to sleep. Jackie had other ideas. She rolled back over and batted her eyes at him.

"One more chapter?" Hyde felt that little twist of his heart that meant he would do whatever she asked him to do, regardless of what he wanted. Sometimes, he theorized that Jackie had the power of mind-control, but deep down, he knew that she didn't control anything he did. He was perfectly in control; he would do anything she asked.

Hyde rolled his eyes and smiled slightly, cracking open the book again. "One more chapter."


	32. I Picked These For You

" **I picked these for you"**

Hyde didn't like birthdays. Well, he liked _other_ people's birthdays. Not his. When he was a kid, birthdays didn't mean anything; his mom could barely remember where she had last parked her car. He never expected anything, which meant he was never disappointed.

Then, he had moved in with Forman. And if there was one thing Mrs. Forman liked, it was birthdays. This year, he was turning 18 and he was dreading it. 18 meant being an adult. It meant standing on your own. It meant "stop being a freeloader and get the hell out of your best friend's basement."

He had packed everything up and was planning on splitting before that stupid party Mrs. Forman had been trying to convince him wasn't actually happening. She was terrible at keeping secrets, but her heart was in the right place. Unfortunately, Red had thrown a wrench in that plan. After making it clear that Steven could really make his life better than his parents had if he just stayed with the Formans, Red had gotten him to agree to staying….and to going to the party.

"Just pretend you're having a nice time," he had chuckled, clapping a hand on Hyde's back as they walked over to Donna's.

"Man, some of this family crap really blows," he groaned.

"Yeah," Red agreed. "But it's worth it in the long run, Steven."

They opened the door to a shouted chorus of "Surprise!" Hyde pasted a smile on his face that soon became genuine when Leo announced, "Man, you guys really got me, huh?"

Everyone took turns hugging him and handing over gifts, but Hyde was shocked when Jackie stepped forward, giving him a kiss on the cheek and pressing a clumsily wrapped package into his hands. Hyde looked at her questioningly as she gestured for him to open it. Ripping the paper off, he was surprised to see a stack of records. Aerosmith, Grateful Dead, Thin Lizzy, and….Zeppelin live!

"I picked these for you," Jackie smiled shyly.

"Damn, this is really cool," he grinned back at her.

"Well, 18 is an important birthday," she responded, back to her usual no-nonsense tone.

Hyde smiled as he shuffled through the records again. Sometimes it seemed like Jackie knew him a lot better than she let on.


	33. Stay Over

" **Stay over"**

Jackie rolled over, wrapping the sheet around her and attempting to sit up, but Hyde had other ideas.

"Steven!" she squealed, as he hooked an arm around her waist and dragged her back onto the bed. She turned to see him looking at her, something new and unrecognizable in his eyes. They had been hooking up for a few weeks now, and Jackie was surprised at how quickly they had fallen into an easy familiarity. She gave him a lopsided smile and sat back up again.

"Steven, I gotta go home," she ran a hand through her hair as his hand traveled up her bare back, trying to get her back in the bed for round...four? Yeah, four.

"Why?"

"Because I do!" Jackie smiled at him as he rolled over and buried his face in the pillow, letting out a loud groan. She stood up, the sheet still wrapped around her, and started searching for her underwear. Hyde always threw her clothes around like she would never need them again. One embarrassing day, they had hooked up in his car and then couldn't find her bra afterwards. It was a bouncy walk to the Hub that day, Hyde snickering to himself for the rest of the afternoon.

 _God, where is my underwear?_ Jackie was shifting the piles of junk around Hyde's room. _That was one of my good pairs, too!_

She turned around to see Steven staring at her again, with that same inscrutable look on his face.

"What?" she said self-defensively.

"Stay over," he replied. Jackie was speechless. Hyde wanted her to….stay over? Sleep all night with him? _Maybe he wants to break our "doing it" record tonight._

"We can just sleep," he said quickly, reading the look on her face. "Just….stay over tonight."

Jackie felt her heartbeat quicken. There was something about Hyde that made her feel...safe. Looked after. Cared about. Even before they started fooling around, she knew that the safest place was right next to him.

Even now, as they kept their relationship a secret from everyone around them, Jackie felt like it was the most real relationship she had ever had. There were no games with Steven, no worrying about if he was messing around on her. And feeling his arms around her? It was like she belonged there, like they were puzzle pieces fitting together.

So that's why she decided to stay. But not without a little fun (at Hyde's expense, of course). Taking in the way he was looking at her, that hunger for her body next to his, she grinned wickedly, dropping the sheet covering her body. "Do we _just_ have to sleep?"

Jackie would never forget the stunned look on Hyde's face, or the way he laughed as soon as he recovered from the shock. _Best chick I ever had_ , he whispered to her later that night. And as Jackie shifted in his arms, she knew that this is where she was happiest: in Eric's basement, laying in bed with Steven Hyde, and knowing that she was right where she was meant to be.


	34. It Doesn't Bother Me

" **It doesn't bother me"**

Hyde was fidgety. He had been sitting in the basement all day with Eric, Kelso, and Jackie and he was getting stir crazy. It was his own fault, too. He had started a circle and the rest of the gang was too loopy to do anything but eat chips and watch Scooby Doo. Sometimes, Hyde curse his high tolerance for pot.

He was kicking his foot against the side of the couch, trying to relieve some of his pent-up energy, when Eric looked over at him and frowned.

"Hyde, stop," he whined. "You're jiggling the couch….it feels like I'm on a boat."

"Whoa, imagine if we had a boat," Kelso laughed, still staring at the TV.

Hyde responded to Eric by kicking the couch harder.

"Come on man, you're bothering everybody!" Kelso turned towards him. "Just chill out."

"It doesn't bother me," Jackie piped up. She was sitting on the couch upside down, her legs sticking up in the air and her hair sweeping the ground.

"What do you mean, it doesn't bother you?" Eric scoffed.

"I think it's kinda fun," she laughed. "The couch keeps moving. Like a boat!" She flipped over, back to a normal seated position. "Besides, Steven's just bored." She shot a wide smile at Hyde and winked.

He chuckled. Jackie was a real doofus when she was high, but she was softer, too. More likely to say nice things, or lean up against him. As she got up and went to sit in Kelso's lap, Hyde rolled his eyes. Jackie liked to say she and Kelso fit together like puzzle pieces. Hyde thought it was more like when you get impatient with the puzzle and jam two pieces together, even though you know they don't belong. But he never shared this thought with anyone. Wasn't his place to say anything.

As Jackie and Kelso proceeded to start making out, Eric wrinkled his nose and made a "blegh" sound. "See?" he turned to Hyde and jerked a thumb over his shoulder. "That's why I didn't want her to come in the basement."

Hyde shrugged, forming his face into the perfect mask of nonchalance. "Doesn't bother me, man."

Hyde was the best liar in Point Place, and none of his friends even knew.


	35. We Can Share

" **We can share"**

Sometimes, Jackie hated the basement. Well, maybe hate is too strong a word. It was just that….I mean, she knew no one really wanted her down there. Yeah, she was Michael's girlfriend now, but his friends just didn't seem to accept her. If it wasn't Eric complaining about how she sat on one of his action figures, it was Donna making snide comments that she probably thought went over Jackie's head.

Jackie usually wouldn't stand for anything like this; if they didn't appreciate her presence, thens she would find people who did. But, if she was really being honest with herself, she wanted their approval. She liked Michael's friends and she wanted them to like her. So, she put up with the insults and the fights. They would come around to her soon enough. Nobody could resist Jackie Burkhart for long.

Today, the gang was sitting in the basement, a lethargic aura hanging over all of them. It was hot; too hot for Wisconsin, and the basement felt like an oven. Michael's arm was draped over Jackie's shoulder and, as much as she liked this outward show of affection, it was hot, damn it! She didn't need Michael's body heat added to her own.

When Eric got up to pull a popsicle out of the freezer, the basement rang out with shouts from everyone to get them one, too. He rolled his eyes, but started to dig the popsicles out. As he straightened up, he had a mischievous smirk on his face.

"Alright, we got Freezy Pops for everyone," he announced cockily. "Except for Jackie." He turned towards her, flashing an overly apologetic face that she knew he didn't mean. Jackie couldn't tell if she was burning with anger, or if it was just that hot in the basement.

"Aw, burn!" Michael yelled, already ripping the plastic off the popsicle Eric had tossed him.

"Michael! Say something to your idiot friend!" Jackie snapped. Michael never stuck up for her when stuff like this happened. And if she complained about it to him later, he would just shrug and say "That's just how it is, Jackie."

"Uh…." Kelso looked like a deer in the headlights. _God, why won't he ever say anything?_

Then, an unexpected voice piped up. "Hey Jackie, we can share."

Hyde was unwrapping his own grape popsicle, one of those double ones with two sticks.

"Here," he mumbled, swiftly breaking it along the middle and handing her a half.

"Hyde!" Eris hissed.

"Hey man," Hyde said calmly, reclining in his chair. "Jackie's here. Can't do anything about that right now. So, you might as well share your Freezy Pops."

Jackie was ecstatic. _Maybe this is the first step towards really being part of the group!_ She beamed at Hyde, then turned to Eric, sticking out her tongue.

Nobody could resist Jackie Burkhart for long. Hyde had never been able to at all.


	36. Did You Get My Note?

" **Did you get my note?"**

Hyde didn't want to wake up. Jackie had stayed over that night and, after a few round of….well, you know, they had both drifted off to sleep. As Hyde slowly started to stir, he was surprised at what was missing from his bed. Namely, Jackie. _Where would she have gone? Also, when has she ever woken up before me?_ He sat up and swung his legs over the side of the bed.

 _She wouldn't just leave without saying anything, would she? We had a nice time last night, right?_ he mused to himself. They had gone to the movies, then grabbed a pizza and come back to the basement. They watched a _The Andy Griffith Show_ marathon ("It's wholesome, Steven!") and ate pizza until Hyde couldn't keep his hands off of her for any longer.

This wasn't how he would usually spend time with a date. Yeah, they would go to the movies, but they would just make out the whole time. He and Jackie _actually_ watched the movie, both whispering to each other and making fun of how terrible the main actor was. And, when they had come back to the basement, they had actually done something. Hyde usually just led whatever girl he had picked up straight back to his room. And they never stayed the night. But Jackie was different. Maybe it was because he'd known her as a friend before anything else. Even though she annoyed the hell out of him sometimes, she was his friend and he liked spending time with her, even when they weren't making out. Weird, huh?

As Hyde stood up and stretched, something caught his eye. Propped up on his dresser was a folded piece of paper, "Steven" written on the front in curly, girly handwriting. _Jackie_. He grabbed it, unfolding the paper.

 _I woke up and heard Mrs. Forman in the basement. Thought she might come in, so when she went upstairs, I split. I'm over at Donna's; I'll come over later. I had a really good time last night :) Hope we can do it again soon. See ya later_

 _\- Jackie_

Hyde chuckled. Jackie lived in fear of one of the Formans catching her sleeping in Hyde's bed. They had been so nice to her; she didn't want them to think she was a tramp, or disrespectful of their house. He put the note down, stretched again, and started to get dressed.

Later that day, as he and Eric were playing checkers, Jackie and Donna came over.

"Hey," Hyde smiled at Jackie. She grinned back, settling on the couch next to Eric. Donna and Eric quickly got entrenched in some argument about how his Star Wars dolls "weren't toys, they were memorabilia," so Hyde got up and walked over, leaning on the back of the couch.

"Did you get my note?" Jackie asked slyly.

"Sure did," Hyde's mouth twisted into that little half-smile he did. "They're playing _Close Encounters of the Third Kind_ tonight. Wanna go and make fun of Richard Dreyfuss?

"Only if we can get burgers afterwards." Jackie winked at him.

Hyde didn't believe in love at first sight. But as he looked at Jackie's smiling face, it felt like he was seeing her for the first time. And he might just be falling in love.


	37. I'll Walk You Home

" **I'll walk you home"**

Jackie knew she should've left Eric's house earlier. Michael had bailed early; his aunt was in town and his mom wanted all the Kelso kids present and accounted for by the time dinner rolled around. Jackie usually counted on him to walk her home, but she, Fez, Eric, and Hyde had been in a heated battle over Candyland and she couldn't just leave! Now, however, as she pulled her coat on and looked out the basement door, she regretted that decision. It was dark and kinda foggy and Jackie knew what happened to beautiful girls who walked home alone on nights like this. Obviously, a whacko escaped mental patient was gonna murder her. That's what always happened in the movies, anyways. So, Jackie turned to her second choice.

"Steven, it's really dark and creepy out." she said, using that baby voice that made every man in the vicinity do whatever she asked. Except for one.

"Yeah, cool," Hyde muttered, focused on the TV.

Jackie cleared her throat. "I hope a crazy axe murderer doesn't kill me as I walk home….alone….on this dark night."

Hyde glanced up at her. "Fez'll walk you home."

"Are you kidding? He wouldn't be any help against a crazy person!" Jackie sputtered. Hyde opened his mouth, but Jackie cut him off. "And don't even _think_ about suggesting Eric! He has all the upper body strength of a pool noodle!"

"Hey, that was hurtful," Eric crossed his arms.

"Jackie," Hyde sighed. "If I walk you home, will you shut the hell up?" She nodded enthusiastically.

"Fine," Hyde pushed himself up out of his chair. "I'll walk you home."

Jackie smiled, glad to have another victory under her belt, as they walked up the basement stairs and out into the night. The fog _was_ really creepy. Even Hyde looked a little unnerved.

"So, Steven-

"Hey, you said you would shut up if I walked you home." he interrupted.

"But-

"Nope." he clapped his hand over her mouth. Jackie wrinkled her nose as Hyde chuckled to himself, obviously pleased at this gesture. He wasn't laughing when Jackie licked the palm of his hand, though.

"Jesus, Jackie!" he rubbed his hand on his dirty jeans.

She just flashed him a smile and started walking down the street. They strolled along in silence until Hyde cleared his throat.

"Hey, this is kinda peaceful. It's nice when you're not yapping all the time." Hyde smirked, glancing over at Jackie.

Jackie rolled her eyes. Steven Hyde was honestly the most infuriating person she had ever met. He never fell for her tricks or got all starry-eyed around her. He treated her like a normal person, and Jackie Burkhart was _not_ a normal person. But, as much as he drove her crazy, she had to admit: when that dog ran out of the bushes, scaring the crap out of both of them, Hyde had grabbed her hand, pulling her closer to him. And she didn't hate that at all.


	38. Come Here Let Me Fix It

" **Come here. Let me fix it"**

Hyde had seen a lot of crazy things in his life, but the sight that greeted him when he walked in the basement after work really just took the cake.

"Jackie, what the hell are you doing?"

Jackie whipped her head around, equally as surprised to see Hyde. _Don't know why. Not like I live here or anything._

"Steven! I thought you wouldn't be back until-

"Leo let me leave early," he said, crossing the basement to sit in his chair. "So, what exactly is going on here?"

Jackie was surrounded by pieces of one of Eric's spaceship models and that extra-strong glue he used on all his toys.

"I guess Eric just….left some of his nerd stuff out! We should probably put it away before he gets home." Jackie was already sweeping her hands over the pile, trying to stall the situation before Hyde could get any more jokes in.

"Jackie," Hyde was reveling in this. He _so_ had her. "Eric finished this model last weekend. But it looks like now it's been….broken? Who would do such a thing?" he asked in mock surprise. Jackie opened her mouth to respond, but then slumped her shoulders in defeat.

"Fine, you caught me! But you can't say anything to Eric, okay?" she started toying with the model pieces again. "I got here early and he left it on the floor, okay? It's not my fault he's irresponsible!"

"But what are you doing with it now?" Hyde's curiosity was piqued. The Jackie he knew would've laughed, then stomped on the model a few more times, just to make sure it was good and broken.

"Well, I have to put it back together!" Jackie huffed. "Eric doesn't….I mean, he works really hard on these things and…." she muttered something under her breath that Hyde couldn't hear.

"What was that last part?"

"I feel bad!" she rolled her eyes, grabbing the glue. "God, I'm not a _total_ monster, you know."

Hyde watched as she carefully lined a piece with glue, pressing the wooden ends together with her tongue sticking out. He had to admit; it was pretty damn cute. As the two pieces she had tried to attach fell apart, Jackie groaned.

"How does he do these things? It's impossible," she was grumbling to herself. Hyde felt that familiar twist in his heart, the one that meant he was about to do something against his better judgement.

"Come here," he sighed. "Let me fix it." Jackie looked up, shocked at his suggestion.

"I've seen him put enough of these things together," Hyde explained defensively. "And besides, between the two of us, I'm pretty sure we're smarter than Forman."

They spent the rest of that afternoon bickering over tiny model parts, glue all over their hands. It wasn't exactly how Hyde had planned on spending his afternoon, but as Jackie stuck the last piece onto the stupid thing, he had to admit: it hadn't been that bad. Might've been kinda fun.

"We make a good team, Burkhart." He reclined in his chair, glad it was done before Forman had come home. Jackie smiled at him; her real smile, not the fake one she reserved for adults and boys she was trying to trap. It was nice and, without even thinking about it, Hyde smiled back.


	39. I Made Your Favorite

" **I made your favorite"**

Hyde was not having a good week. He had just gotten used to the fact that he had a sister. Not even three days later, Kelo was banging her! I mean, the guy was outta control. And, much as Hyde wanted to do something about it, he had made that stupid pact with Kelso. His hands were tied.

And, if that wasn't enough, Forman was taking every chance he got to rub it in Hyde's face. Hyde would only grudgingly admit that he had it coming. He had never missed a chance to mention Kelso and Laurie's relationship. This was just Forman getting his punches in any way he could.

He was spending the rest of this day in the basement. No plans to move any time soon. Between the Kelso-Angie thing and his new job with WB, Hyde was stressed. That was not an emotion he was used to feeling. So, when Jackie came running down the stairs, already yelling, Hyde was ready to just roll over and die. _This is 100% not what I need right now._

"Steven, I know you're having a really hard time right now, what with Michael dating your sister and all, so," she shoved a plate of cookies towards him. "I made your favorite!"

Hyde was stunned. Jackie didn't cook. Hell, Jackie didn't really do things for others. So this gesture really surprised him. He liked the fact that she still could surprise him, even after they had known each other all this time.

"Hey, thanks," he said softly, catching her eye and smiling his goofy smile. He was well aware that he had an assortment of smiles, with one that was only for Jackie….and Mrs. Forman. He lifted one of the cookies to his mouth and took a bite. Well, he _tried_ to take a bite. _These things are rock solid!_

"Ow," he said before he could stop himself. Jackie's face fell, and Hyde wanted to kick himself. She had tried to do something nice and he had just messed it up.

"Are they no good?"

"No, no!" he was quick to reassure her, "I'll just….suck on them." _Suck on them? What am I thinking? That's a terrible thing to say!_

As Jackie tried to pretend she wasn't offended, Kelso and Eric started in on the "Kelso nailed your sister" thing again. Without thinking, Hyde grabbed a cookie and hurled it at Kelso.

"Ow, what the hell?" Kelso sputtered. Jackie quickly joined in, pelting Eric and Kelso with the burnt cookies. Hyde laughed, finally feeling better. He leaned down and kissed Jackie. She really was the best chick he'd ever had.


	40. Don't Cry

" **Don't cry"**

Sometimes it felt like that was all Hyde could say to Jackie.

"Don't cry," he groaned as she begged him to take her to the stupid prom to make Kelso jealous. He couldn't stand to see anyone cry; one time he had seen a little kid crying alone in the mall. Hyde had spent the rest of his afternoon trying to find the kid's mom. Having Jackie sob all over him gave him that same feeling he got when he saw the lost kid. He wanted to protect her, to save her from anything bad that could happen until he could hand her off to someone who really loved her.

"Don't cry," he stuttered as she sat in his car, tearfully wondering if she would ever love anyone else. He insisted that she would find someone else, someone better. It was true. But "better" wasn't here in Point Place. "Better" wasn't sitting next to her in an old car.

"Don't cry," he said, hesitantly offering her a box of tissues as she sobbed that Kelso had gone off to California after he had promised her that they would get married. You'd think she would learn to stop giving her fragile heart to someone who threw it against the wall just for fun, not understanding how it broke.

"Don't cry," he tried to smother his laughter. They were watching _Old Yeller_ and tears were streaming down her face. He pulled her closer, kissing her forehead. What a tender heart in such a tough shell.

"Don't cry," he bit his lip, unsure of what to say. Her dad was going to jail and she was devastated. He didn't know what to tell her. It wasn't like he could do anything about it. So he recited his same old line. It had always worked before, but they both knew it was starting to get worn out.

"Don't cry," he ached to tell her. She was standing in front of him, telling him if he didn't see a future with her, then she was leaving. She wasn't crying yet, but there were tears shining in her eyes and he knew that as soon as she left, the waterworks would start. But he didn't say anything. He couldn't. So she left. And as he repeated "don't cry don't cry don't cry" in his head like a refrain, he didn't know if he was talking to her, or to himself.

"Don't cry," he muttered angrily to himself, crumpling up the note she had left him, telling him she was going to Chicago. Since when did he need someone to tell him not to cry? But he knew that it wasn't just for himself. He was silently yelling it to her, knowing that as hurt as he felt right now, she felt even worse.

"Don't cry," he snapped angrily at her. He had driven all the way here to tell her he loved her, that he was gonna marry her, that he knew they could be happy together. And then Kelso had walked in. Jackie was trying to explain, tears in her eyes, and usually that would be enough to melt his heart. Not this time. He wasn't gonna do it this time. But, deep in his heart, he knew he could never really quit her.

"Don't cry," he smiled. She was tearfully beaming down at him, nodding furiously. He stood up, sliding the ring he had bought onto her finger. As he kissed her, he could feel her tears on his face. And after all these years of consoling her when things fell apart, he knew that there was nothing else he would rather do. He knew there would be more fights, more laughter, and more tears. But he knew what he had now and he was never going to let go.


	41. Have A Good Day At Work

" **Have a good day at work"**

Jackie was playing Go Fish with Donna and Eric. It was kinda boring, but in the best way possible. Jackie had so much going through her head all the time that it was nice to just sit and concentrate on this dumb kids game.

"Um….got any sevens?" Eric quirked one of his eyebrows. Jackie thought he looked ridiculous, but Donna giggled and shook her head. "Go fish."

"Aw, come on!" Eric groaned. He was losing badly. Jackie, as always, was winning. The rest of the gang always accused her of cheating, but the truth was that Jackie was just competitive. She could think quickly on her feet and she refused to lose to the dorks she called friends. As soon as Hyde finished teaching her, she was gonna beat him and Donna at chess, too.

Jackie was concentrating hard on her cards, hoping to keep the sizable lead she had on Eric and Donna, when Hyde came out of his room, headed straight for the door.

"I'm gone," he waved a hand at the three of them. Donna and Eric gave non committal responses, but Jackie, still studying her cards, called, "Have a good day at work."

She hadn't even realized she had something out of place until, looking up from her cards, she noticed the rest of the basement's occupants staring at her.

"What?" she said defensively.

"You….told Hyde to have a good day," Donna's eyebrows were furrowed. _Oh my God, I did._

"Well, um…." she turned to Hyde. "I just, uh, said it without realizing!" He just nodded, but he had that stupid smirk on his face and Jackie knew he wouldn't let her forget it anytime soon.

What Jackie didn't tell anyone was that she knew why she had said what she said. Every morning when her dad went to work, he would say "I'm gone," just like Hyde had. And Jackie always responded "Have a good day at work." A Pavlovian response, that's all it was.

But, regardless of how she and Hyde felt about each other, Jackie _did_ want him to have a good day at work. What? He was her friend, okay?


	42. You Can Tell Me Anything

" **You can tell me anything"**

Ah, circle time. It was Hyde's favorite part of the day. Even though it was considered to be "a waste of time" by some, for the gang, it was absolutely essential. Today, it was him, Fez, Forman, and Jackie.

"Hey," Eric held up a hand. "Have you guys ever thought about the fact that there are aliens? Like out there? In space?"

"Ai, I do not like the aliens," Fez looked troubled. "The movies tell me that they will kill us all when they get here."

"They're already here, man!" Hyde interjected. "The government's got a bunch of them locked up at Fort Roswell! Area 51!"

"Yeah, I heard about that!" Jackie exclaimed. "They just wanted to come down and say hi but obviously the stupid government thought it was an act of aggression, so they put them in labs and they're doing experiments on them." She popped a potato chip in her mouth.

Hyde smiled at her peacefully. She was really coming along, huh? A few weeks on the good stuff and she was already thinking like a true pothead: the government is up to something, do not trust them. Fez and Eric had started in on an argument about the odds of the aliens having better candy than we do here on Earth, so Hyde refocused on Jackie. Surrounded by the haze of smoke that came with circle time, it felt like he was looking at a picture of her, like she wasn't actually there. All out of focus, you know? Hyde didn't realize he had been staring at her for too long, but when she started to giggle, he snapped back to reality.

"Wow, Steven," she laughed. "You look like you have something to tell me. You look like you wanna say something _so bad_ , but you just can't." She ate another chip, still snickering.

"Wha-? Oh, I'm just spacing out," Hyde quickly said, chuckling to cover up the awkwardness. As they both smiled at each other, Jackie suddenly sobered, scanning Hyde's face thoughtfully.

"Steven?"

"Yeah?"

"You can tell me anything. You know that, right? I mean, I know we fight a lot, and we tell each other we don't like each other….but I'm your friend!" she looked so goddamn earnest, like a little kid promising not to tell a secret, and Hyde felt that old familiar leap in his stomach. _Christ_ , he thought. _If only she knew….wait! This could be my moment!_ He opened his mouth, ready to tell her what he had been keeping inside for too long. The joint they had passed around earlier was giving him the courage he never had normally. And she had just told him he could tell her anything? That was definitely a sign of encouragement, right?

"Jackie, I-

"Fez!" Jackie and Eric both yelled. Fez had been wrestling with a bag of candy and, giving it one final tug, he had ripped the bag wide open, candy raining down on all of them.

Hyde watched Jackie again, laughing her head off as candy fell around her shoulders. She caught his eye and winked. God, she was bad at winking. She winked like a little kid, screwing up one eye, closing it with so much force it was almost comical. And as they all started grabbing at the candy on the table and floor, Hyde folded back in on himself. _What was I thinking? Tell her? Jesus, get a grip, man. You gotta shake this thing._


	43. Is This Okay?

" **Is this okay?"**

Jackie was never really sure how it had started, but she and Steven Hyde were….a _thing_. No one knew, of course. Jackie carried the secret of what she and Steven had together proudly, like a little light in her heart that no one else could see but him. She was happy; there was no other way to put it. And, even though she knew he would never say it to anyone, she knew Steven was happy, too.

So that's why it was so strange to her that they hadn't had sex yet. They mainly just made out in the basement, or in his car, or at the water tower. Nothing further. Jackie wasn't stupid; she knew that Hyde's specialty was one-night stands with blonde bimbos from whatever shitty bar he went to that night. _Hit 'em and quit 'em_ , she had heard the guys snickering. So, she wondered when he would quit her. She never mentioned the fact that they had never gone farther than second base to him. Jackie figured that, maybe if they never went further, they would just stay as they were. A state of suspended animation, where everything around them changed, but they stayed the same. They stayed together. As nice as this little mental picture was, things changed soon enough.

They were sitting on the basement couch, Hyde's arm draped loosely around her. Eric and Fez had gone to the movies, so there was no one to hide their actions from. Jackie could feel the heat emanating from his body, and she knew it was a matter of time before they started fooling around. In fact, she decided to speed up the process, turning her face towards Hyde's. She slid one hand over his thigh; that sure got his attention. He turned to her and she kissed him hungrily. He responded in kind, gently grabbing her shoulders and lowering her onto her back on the couch. He liked being on top, Jackie had noticed, and she never fought him on it. As they got more heated, his hands sliding under her shirt to rest on her stomach, Jackie decided: today was the day. She couldn't wait anymore. She had to have him.

She slowly dragged her hands from his cheeks to the waist of his jeans, then lightly tugged at them. She hoped he would get the hint, maybe start trying to take her shirt off or something, but he just continued kissing down her neck, sucking on her collarbone. _Geez, for someone who's supposed to be smooth with the ladies, he's a little clueless_. Jackie moved her hands to his belt buckle and started undoing it. That sure got his attention; Hyde stopped and brought his face up to meet hers.

"Jackie," he said softly. "What are you doing?"

"I'm trying to take your pants off, dumbass" she retorted. He looked thoughtful, still propped up above her. She brought her hands back to his cheeks, turning his face to look squarely at hers. "Steven," she smiled. "Don't you want me?"

It might've been a trick of the light, but Jackie swore he started blushing. "Of-of course I do, but I just-well…." he trailed off. "You're sure?"

Jackie rolled her eyes and pulled him towards her, kissing him gently. "I'm sure," she whispered as they pulled apart. Hyde smiled, then pulled himself up off of her.

"Can't do it on the couch," he extended a hand to pull her up from the couch, leading her back to his room. "Forman would lose his mind." Jackie giggled nervously.

As they stood in Hyde's room, both a little unsure of how to proceed, Jackie took the initiative again, wrapped her arms around his neck and throwing herself into another kiss with him. He responded enthusiastically, and Jackie soon felt his hands tugging at the bottom of her shirt. She let go so he could pull it up over her head, and she reveled at the sight of him seeing her in all her topless glory for the first time. Not for long, though. She grabbed at his shirt, impatiently tugging it off of him, then down to his waist, yanking off his belt and unzipping his pants.

"A little eager, aren't you?" Steven smirked, but Jackie couldn't help herself. She had been controlling herself for too long. Hyde was none too reluctant himself, unclipping her bra as she shimmied out of her jeans. He did it so seamlessly; Michael always fumbled with it for so long that Jackie eventually lost patience and just did it herself. They were kissing like the world was about to end, like there was no more time in the world and they only had now. Backing up, Jackie felt her calves hit Hyde's bed; she went with it, falling onto his bed. She burst out laughing as he smiled down at her. God, she loved when he looked at her like that. The rest of the world couldn't see it, but Steven Hyde was tenderhearted. He was soft sometimes. Or maybe that was just when he was with her.

Going over to his dresser, he pulled open a drawer and pulled out a small foil package and Jackie felt a thrill run through her; they were really and truly doing this. Hyde stepped clumsily out of his jeans and came to lay next to her on the bed, kissing her softly, trying to gain back some of the momentum they had had.

Jackie grabbed his hand, guiding it down below her waist, hoping he would understand. He did. Jackie watched him tear the condom wrapper with his teeth, hoping he would hurry up, hurry up, _hurry up._

As Hyde slowly centered himself over her, Jackie found herself holding her breath. She was overcome with a sense of physical wanting that she had never felt with Michael. She felt like if Steven didn't do something soon she would explode into a million pieces.

He hesitated again, then looked into her eyes. Jackie loved his eyes; blue as the sky on a sunny day. She remembered a car ride long ago, Steven telling her that his glasses made it easier for him to hide. She knew why he wanted to hide his eyes; every emotion was reflected in them, every want and desire. She loved it.

"Jackie," he exhaled, but Jackie couldn't do it anymore. She could feel him against her thigh, could feel how big he was, and she absolutely could not wait.

"Steven, please," she whined, trying desperately to relieve the tingling anticipation all over her body. He smirked as she ran her hands up his chest, silently imploring him to give her the release she so badly needed. And, with one gentle motion, he was inside her. Jackie gasped, snapping her eyes shut and trying to adjust to the feeling. _Wow….he's a lot bigger than Michael_. Suddenly, she noticed that Hyde wasn't moving. She opened her eyes to see Hyde staring down at her. She could see what he wanted in his eyes; he wanted her. So why wasn't he doing anything?

"Is this okay?" he said tentatively. In that moment, Jackie thought she could feel her heart expanding a million sizes. He was looking at her like she was all that mattered, like all he needed to know was that she was alright. In all her time with Michael, he had never cared how she felt about sex. He never asked her what she wanted. Jackie felt tears in her eyes, and Hyde suddenly looked horrified. "Oh my God, Jackie, I'm so sorry,I didn't mean to-

"No, Steven," she brought a hand up to his face. He stopped, still looking worried. "This is okay. God, it's more than okay." she laughed. Then she kissed him softly. Stroking his cheek, she whispered, "This is perfect."

Hyde's face broke out into a wide smile, and he leaned in to kiss her again. As he slowly started to move inside her, all Jackie could think was: _He's perfect. He's perfect. He's perfect._


	44. Sit Down, I'll Get It

" **Sit down, I'll get it"**

Hyde was wasted. Not as bad as Kelso, but still wasted. They had gone to a bar, just for kicks, and then decided to drink themselves silly. But it was time to go home now, so Hyde reached for his keys.

"I don't think so, buddy," the bartender grimaced, quickly snatching the keys out of Hyde's hand. "Too drunk to drive. Find someone to pick you up."

"Man, who are we gonna call? Forman can't come out this late; his parents would flip," Kelso laid his head down on the top of the bar. Hyde didn't answer; he figured someone would come along sooner or later. Suddenly, Kelso shot up. "I know!" We'll call Jackie!"

"Hey," Hyde looked at him, shocked. "That's actually a really good idea."

"I know, right?" Kelso grinned goofily at him. "Sometimes I even surprise myself." He went to the payphone in the corner and called Jackie. Hyde snickered to himself, imagining what Jackie's reaction would be to Kelso's drunken request that she come get them. He saw Kelso holding the phone slightly away from his head and could hear Jackie's faint voice, yelling something about "can't believe" and "idiots" and "Steven should know better."

A few minutes later, Kelso sauntered back to Hyde. "She's on her way," he grinned. They sat at the bar, continuing to drink and, soon enough, Hyde heard Jackie's shrill shouting coming from outside the door.

"I don't care what your bar policy is, I'm just trying to pick up two morons and take them home!" And there she was, pushing past the guy at the door and heading straight towards them.

"I cannot _believe_ you two," she hissed, yanking on both of their arms. She stopped short. "Oh my God, I sound like Mrs. Forman."

"Oh my God, you do!" Hyde yelled gleefully. _Best. Night. Ever._

"Shut up, Steven!" Hyde and Kelso followed her dutifully out of the bar and to her car. Kelso went straight for the backseat, stretching out and closing his eyes. "If you puke in my dad's car, I'll murder you." Jackie's eyes narrowed. Then, she shoved Hyde into the passenger seat.

They drove in silence, save for the radio playing quietly….oh, and Jackie angrily muttering to herself. Something about "stupid boyfriend" and "dump 'em by the side of the road" and (again) "Steven should've known better." _Glad to know she's got such a high opinion of me._

Soon enough, they were pulling up to the Formans'. Hyde groaned, thinking about how he would have to stumble his way down the basement stairs and into his room. It didn't seem that far normally, but tonight it was like walking to Detroit. He steeled himself, opening the car door, and was shocked when he looked up to see Jackie standing in front of him. _When did she get out of the car?_ Hyde was trying to get it together. _Man, I gotta stop drinking like this_.

"Come on, Steven, hurry up," she grumbled. "I still gotta get Michael home, get out of the car." Hyde got to his feet unsteadily, and then there was Jackie, pulling one of his arms over her shoulder, letting him lean on her as she helped him stumble to the stairs.

"You're heavier than you look," she panted, fumbling for the door knob and pushing the door open. Hyde didn't have a response; he just let her shove him inside the door. As they stumbled through the basement to his room, Hyde found himself wondering why Jackie was going through all this trouble. He figured she would just push him out of the car while it was still moving.

"Alright, there you go," Jackie puffed, pushing him down onto his bed. Hyde was about to crash his head onto the pillow when he suddenly remembered: "Ah shit."

"What?" Jackie turned around. Hyde was attempting to push himself up off the bed, but he just didn't have the coordination right now.

"Left my stash out, right there on the table," he sighed, giving up on moving from the bed. Jackie looked at him, her glare softening. Sometimes, Hyde could swear she liked him more than she let on. Hell, _he_ liked her more than he let on.

"Sit down," she finally said as Hyde tried again to get to a standing position. "I'll get it."

Hyde could feel his face breaking into a grin he usually reserved for free beer and topless women. "You're the best, doll."

"Yeah, yeah," Jackie brushed him off, but he could see her fighting back a smile. He liked making her smile.


	45. Can I Have This Dance?

" **Can I have this dance?"**

Homecoming was supposed to be a magical night. At least, that's what all those articles in _Seventeen_ had said. The articles always talked about what dress to wear, how to accessorize; they never said anything about what you're supposed to do when your stupid boyfriend is flirting with other girls while you're standing alone by the punchbowl. I mean, Jackie Burkhart was _not_ a punchbowl girl! She pouted, crossing her arms and wishing she could just go home already.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw someone walking towards her. She was surprised to see Steven, wearing a nice shirt and tie. _What is he doing here? And who dressed him?_

"Hey, Burkhart," he said casually, ladling out a glass of punch for himself.

"Not in the mood, Steven," she turned away. She knew he was about to make some snarky comment about her current predicament, and she just wasn't going to take it right now.

"Aw, what's wrong?" he smirked. "Someone ruin the big dance for ya?"

" _Not_ that it's any of your business, but yes, someone is ruining the dance for me." she glared at Michael. He didn't even notice!

"Kelso's playing around on you again, huh?" the teasing tone was gone from his voice.

"I just….I don't wanna talk about it," Jackie said thickly. _Oh my God, I will not cry right now, not in the school gym in front of Pam Macy and Coach Bennett and Steven!_ Blinking furiously, she kept her eyes locked on the ground, hoping Hyde wouldn't notice anything.

"Jackie?" she heard him say tentatively. "Uh….well, I- um, can I have this dance?"

She whipped her head around, ready to give him a piece of her mind. He thought he could sit here and make fun of _her_? Not if she had anything to say about it. But as she furiously snapped her mouth open, ready to start into a long and bitter tirade that would make Steven rue the very day he was born, she noticed something. Hyde didn't have the usual devil-may-care smirk on his face. He looked….earnest. And Jackie found herself thinking that maybe, just maybe….Hyde wanted to do something nice for her. So, not entirely sure why, she held out her hand.

"Only because it's a Clapton song," she said sternly, but as she met his eyes, she couldn't help but smile. He did the same, leading her onto the dance floor.

 _I feel wonderful because I see_

 _The love light in your eyes_

 _And the wonder of it all_

 _Is that you just don't realize how much I love you_

Jackie rested her head on Hyde's shoulder. No matter how much they bickered and teased each other, she knew that, when the chips were down, they had each other's backs. And tonight, when she had needed him, Steven had been there for her. As they slowly swayed back and forth, Jackie silently promised to herself that, the next time Hyde needed someone, she would be there for him. She wanted to give him that shiny, happy feeling he was always giving her. It was the least she could do, after everything he had done for her.


	46. Be Careful

" **Be careful"**

Hyde wasn't usually inclined to agree with people who wrote pot off as a dangerous drug that killed your brain cells and impaired your judgement, but sometimes, he understood their point. Hell, if Kelso didn't smoke the way he did, he probably could've been a C-average student. And as for impaired judgement….well, without a little weed, the gang wouldn't have done half of the crazy shit they had accomplished. For example, tonight they had gone down to the lake. After a few hits, they had come up with the genius idea of climbing the old fire lookout tower and seeing what would happen if they jumped up and down as hard as they could. The tower had been out of commission for a good few years and the wooden boards were all rotted. Pretty good challenge, huh?

"Eric, this is seriously the worst idea Kelso's ever had. Don't do it," Donna was scolding Forman.

"Hey, Eric could jump up and down all night long and nothing would happen," Hyde grinned. "He doesn't weigh enough to do any damage."

"Oh, burn!" Kelso yelled excitedly, high-fiving Fez. Jackie was, as always, hanging off his arm and complaining about something.

"Michael, don't do this. If you fall, you'll die, and you can't take me to prom if you're dead!" As always, Jackie's reasoning came back to herself. _I've never met anyone who can talk about themselves like she can._

"C'mon Jackie," Kelso put his hands on her shoulders. "This is gonna be so cool! Hyde's even gonna do it, right Hyde?"

Hyde nodded. He usually left the dumb-assery up to Kelso, Fez, and Eric, but tonight he thought, what the hell? As the four of them started to clamber up the ladder, Hyde could hear Fez mumbling to himself, "Oh, why do I do these things? These Americans will be the death of me."

Hyde was the last one climbing up the ladder, so when a rung broke underneath his foot, there was no one there to brace himself on. Feet flailing wildly, Hyde could feel his hands start to slip off the ladder.

"Steven!" he heard Jackie yell. Steeling himself, he swung his feet up onto the next rung, praying that it would support his weight. Thankfully, it did. Hyde was glad; he hadn't wanted his obituary to say "cause of death: being a moron." He glanced down at the base of the tower, trying to gauge how far he would've fallen. He could still see Jackie and Donna's faces pretty clearly, reading the worry and fear on both.

"Steven, be careful!" Jackie yelled, sounding shaken. He forced a mischievous smile on his face, winking down at her.

"Don't worry about me, Burkhart, worry about your idiot boyfriend."

"Hey, I heard that!" Kelso shouted from above him. The guys continued on their upward trek until Eric said "Uh oh"

"What is it?" Fez sounded worried.

"Well, the next few rungs are broken so," Eric laughed nervously. "Looks like we can't do this after all."

Hyde would never admit it, but he was secretly relieved. He knew Forman and Fez were, too. The climb up the ladder had given him a lot of time to think, which meant the weed started wearing off and common sense had set in.

"Aw, come on!" Kelso was the only one who was disappointed to see this particular adventure thwarted. They all slowly made their way back down the ladder, to the apparent relief of the girls. As Hyde felt his feet hit solid ground, he was shocked to see Jackie barrelling towards him.

"Oh my God, I thought you were gonna die!" she exclaimed, punching him on the shoulder.

"Ow, Jackie, what the hell?" Hyde said, rubbing his arm.

"You almost gave me a heart attack! When I saw that freaking ladder rung break, I thought you were gonna fall off!" she said, brushing her hair behind her ears.

"You were worried about me too, right babe?" Kelso came up behind her, sliding his arms around her waist. She turned her face to him quickly.

"Of-of course I was, Michael!" she leaned back against his chest.

Hyde had gotten into the habit of looking into Jackie's eyes when she talked to Kelso. They always told a different story than her mouth did. For example, as she reassured Kelso of her concern for him, her eyes didn't flash the way they did when she had been yelling at him. Funny, huh?


	47. I Think You're Beautiful

" **I think you're beautiful"**

Jackie was half-asleep, curled up in Steven's bed and listening to the music that was quietly playing on his record player. Steven himself was folding his laundry, putting it all neatly away in his dresser drawers. Jackie liked to watch him when he didn't notice. When Hyde thought no one was paying attention to him, he lost that hardness in his face. His mouth relaxed from it's usual look of disinterest and Jackie found it was easier to make him laugh when he was in this state.

 _Ooh baby I love your way_

 _Want to tell you I love your way_

 _Want to be with you night and day_

Jackie focused on Peter Frampton's voice. _God, I love this song._ She rolled over on her back, singing quietly along and staring at the ceiling.

"Steven?"

"Yeah?"

"What do you love about me?" Jackie was aware that this was a truly ridiculous thing to say to Steven. He didn't talk about feelings, he didn't stroke her ego like other guys did, and he usually cut off questions like this with "You're crazy, you know that, right?"

"Jackie, come on," she heard him sigh.

"What?" she sat up. "I just wanna know! Do you want me to go first and tell you what I love about you?"

"Uh, no," he said quickly, coming to sit next to her on the bed. She leaned her head on his shoulder.

"Please, Steven?" she looked up at him, using her puppy-dog eyes that always worked on him. He groaned and said, "Fine, fine!" He stared up at the ceiling, brow furrowed in concentration, and Jackie was about to yell at him for taking so long to think of anything, but he finally spoke.

"Well, you're funny. You make me laugh, even when you don't mean to." Jackie snorted. _Of course he would go with a backhanded compliment_. "You're smart," he continued. "You can act like an airhead sometimes, but you're not. Hell, you beat everybody at Monopoly all the time!" He chuckled, Jackie joining in.

"You're nice, too." Hyde was on a roll now and Jackie didn't want to stop him. She loved hearing what other people liked about her. "You can be a major bitch, but when it matters, you look out for the people who mean the most to you. When you're nice to me," he smiled at her, nudging her with his shoulder. "Well, it makes me feel kinda special. And I think that's what I like most."

"What?"

"That when you're nice, you're really only nice to me," Hyde smirked. Jackie laughed, but something was troubling her.

"Steven?"

"Come on, don't make me say anything else."

"No, Steven," she wiggled around on the bed, resituating herself. "Don't you think I'm pretty?" Hyde looked confused.

"Uh, is this a trick question? I feel like however I answer this, you're gonna kick me in the shins anyway."

Jackie started to get angry, pushing herself up off the bed. "Well, you said all that stuff, but then you didn't say I was pretty, so I guess you're blind or something."

"Wait, hold on a second," Hyde caught her arm, pulling her back to sit next to him on the bed again. "You think I don't think you're pretty?" he chuckled incredulously. "Jackie, I think you're beautiful."

"Of course you do," Jackie smiled, tossing her hair over her shoulder. Her smile quickly faded as she asked, "Then how come that's not one of the things you love about me?"

Hyde let out a deep breath and rubbed his hand over his face. "You're gonna be the death of me, Burkhart. You know that, right?" Jackie just waited, wondering how he was gonna get himself out of this situation. I mean, not mentioning her good looks? Hyde had practically dug his own grave.

"Jackie, you're beautiful," Hyde put a hand on her knee. "But that's not why I love you."

"What do you mean? That's ridicu-

"I mean, that I'm with you because you make me laugh, you make me think," Hyde interrupted her. "You make me smile when I'm around you and, I don't know if you've noticed, but I'm not a big smiler."

"So, what you're saying is…." Jackie trailed off, hoping he would explain, because she still wasn't sure she got it.

"I'm saying that, yeah, you're gorgeous. And, on a list of pros and cons, that's a big pro. But I love what's in here," he tapped on her forehead. "And what's in here," he pointed to her heart. "I _like_ the way you look, but I _love_ the way you are."

Jackie was speechless. First of all, she had never heard Hyde talk about his feelings like this before. He didn't like to use "the L word" and he never talked about their relationship. To hear him spouting all of this emotional junk was like seeing a unicorn or something. Secondly, Jackie couldn't believe that someone would be with her for her brain, and not her body.

"You really mean all that?" she said breathlessly. Hyde squinted at her from behind his sunglasses.

"Jackie, don't make me say all that shit again."

"Oh, Puddin'" she beamed, sliding her hands up to his cheeks and kissing him. She could feel him smiling as he tangled his hands up in her hair. And Peter Frampton sang on.

 _Ooh baby I love your way_

 _Want to tell you I love your way_


	48. Happy Birthday

" **Happy birthday"**

Hyde didn't like birthdays. He had never really celebrated them when he was a kid, so why start now? And he was turning 17; not an important year, you know? So in the days leading up to November 28th, Hyde didn't mention it to anyone. Forman sure as hell wouldn't remember; he had his head so far up Donna's ass that it was a wonder he could see anything at all. And Kelso and Fez were grade-A morons; the odds that they would know when his birthday was were next to nothing. So, Hyde felt safe in his assumption that no one would mention his birthday and it would be a day just like any other.

"Hey," Kelso said, bouncing a rubber ball off the basement floor. "Do you think that, when babies are born, they already know English? And they just don't feel like talking yet?"

"Kelso, shut up," everyone said in unison.

"Geez, no one ever listens to my ideas!" he huffed. He threw the ball particularly hard at the ground and, when it ricocheted back and hit him square in the eye, no one was surprised.

As the afternoon wore on, everyone slowly started to trickle out of the basement. Donna and Eric went upstairs to go fool around in his room, Fez was headed to the Hub to meet up with Big Rhonda, and Kelso had learned that the family down the street had gotten a new dog. It was just Jackie and Hyde; he was kinda-but-not-really watching _Columbo_ , and she was painting her nails, the sharp smell cutting through the usual incense-and-weed smell that filled the basement.

"Well," Jackie said, screwing the top back on the nail polish bottle. "As fun as this has been, I have to get home; my parents are throwing some dumb dinner party and they want me to be there."

"Okay, cool," Hyde muttered distractedly. As she walked over to the door, Jackie suddenly stopped.

"Oh, I almost forgot!" she reached in her purse and pulled something out, tossing it to Hyde. He caught it and turned it over in his hand; it was a 3 Musketeers bar.

"Happy birthday," Jackie smiled, turning to go.

"Wait, how did you-why didn't….does anyone else know?" Hyde was dreading a surprise party: Mrs. Forman's specialty.

"Steven, I keep track of these things," Jackie had one hand on the doorknob. "And, no, no one else knows. I figured the best birthday present anyone could get you was everyone completely ignoring your birthday all together." She winked at him and then she was gone, the smell of her nail polish still hanging faintly in the air.

Hyde unwrapped the candy bar slowly, thinking about Jackie. Sure, she was annoying, and they really didn't have anything in common. But sometimes, Hyde was pretty sure she was the only member of the gang who really understood him. Weird, huh?


	49. I'll Buy Your Ticket

" **I'll buy your ticket"**

Jackie slammed the basement door open, relishing in the loud bang it made as it hit the wall. She ignored the whooping and whistling from Michael, Fez, and Eric and collapsed on the couch, leaning her head onto Donna's shoulder.

"Long day at work?" Donna closed the magazine she had been reading.

"Oh, it was terrible, Donna!" Jackie yanked off the stupid hat she had to wear with her Cheese Maiden uniform. That was why the guys had all made such asses of themselves when she walked in; the uniform was a little Alps-girl-porno and no one ever let her forget it.

"Do you get any free cheese samples?" Fez asked interestedly. "I mean, that does not sound like a terrible thing, you know?"

"Yeah, but I smell like cheese all the time!" Jackie turned to face him. "And I have to stand all day! I'm exhausted!"

"But it's all worth it, getting to come home to me, huh?" Michael grinned goofily.

"Shut up, Michael." Kelso opened his mouth to respond, when the basement door banged open again. Hyde strolled in, looking as excited as he could. _I mean, would it kill him to smile? Or have a facial expression at all?_

"So, guess what's playing at the drive-in tonight?" he said, dropping into his chair.

" _Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory_?" Fez looked up eagerly. Everyone in the basement groaned. Ever since Fez had seen that movie, he couldn't get it out of his head. The idea of a fabulous candy factory was just too much for him.

"No, you numbskull," Hyde rolled his eyes, kicking his feet up on the table. "They're playing _Enter the Dragon_."

"Alright!" Eric thrust his fist in the air.

"Bruce Lee is the coolest, man," Michael shook his head. "I mean, imagine being able to do kung fu like that." His face suddenly lit up. "Hey Fez, do they do kung fu where you're from?"

"Kelso, your ignorance astounds me," Fez said, shaking his head in disappointment. Jackie stifled a grin, turning to Hyde.

"I can't," she grimaced. "I haven't gotten a paycheck yet, so no cash."

"Aw, that sucks," Kelso groaned. "Well, see you when we get back, Jackie!" he stood up, ready to go to the movie and leave her alone. _What a tool_.

"Kelso!" Donna shoved him. "Jackie's your girlfriend. I think you should buy her a ticket?"

"But then I wouldn't have enough money for the big blue raspberry Slushie." his face fell.

"No, no, it's fine," Jackie sighed. Lately, it was easier to just let Michael do what he wanted. Why force him to hang out with her, you know? She was so tired of trying so hard and getting nothing in return. This wasn't how love was supposed to be….but it was all she had right now.

"Jackie, you wanna go?" Hyde piped up, gazing over the scene with what looked like little to no interest.

"I mean..." Jackie hesitated, but found herself compelled to tell Hyde the truth. Over the years, she had found that it was nearly impossible for her to lie to him. "Yeah, I love Bruce Lee, but I can't go tonight." she shrugged. "It's fine."

"I'll buy your ticket," Hyde said simply, flipping through a magazine. He said it so casually, as if it was something that happened all the time: him buying her a movie ticket. Jackie was silent, unsure of how to respond. I mean, it could just be the set-up for a burn, right?

"What are you talking about, Hyde?" Kelso laughed.

"We're all going to the movie, Jackie wants to go and, since you're too cheap to pay for her, I will," Hyde shrugged. The rest of the basement was silent, trying to match this action with the Hyde they knew. But Jackie didn't have any trouble with it.

"Thank you, Steven," she beamed at him. "You're the best."

Hyde's face went a little red and he cleared his throat. "Uh, no problem, Burkhart."


	50. I'll Meet You Halfway

**Author's Note : Halfway through!** **And I just realized, this chapter is called "I'll Meet You Halfway"; I didn't even plan that :) Anyways, thank you so much for your continued support of this story. Your comments brighten my day and I love that you love reading it as much as I love writing it! 50 more chapters of Zenmasters!**

" **I'll meet you halfway"**

"Okay, but we always go see whatever movie you wanna see," Hyde was fighting with Jackie….again. Lately, it seemed like all they did was fight.

"Yeah, but that's because I have better taste than you," Jackie said slowly, like she was explaining something to a toddler. "And you always just wanna see movies where people get shot and things get blown up!"

"Yeah? Well, you always wanna see movies where people go to the disco and kiss in the rain! That's lame, Jackie!" Hyde fired back. Jackie didn't reply; she just stared stonily out the window as Hyde continued to drive them to the movie theater.

Hyde didn't like to fight. He didn't like to yell. But there was something about Jackie that just made him crazy. She was stubborn and hotheaded and ready to start a fight at the drop of a hat….just like Hyde himself. So, when they did fight, it always felt like they never solved anything. One of them just gave in to the other and they tried to forget that the fight had ever happened. Now, Hyde didn't know a lot about relationships, but he had seen enough of those sappy romance movies Jackie was so crazy about to know that, for a relationship to work, you needed to talk about things. He hated "talking about things." But, if it made things between him and Jackie better, why not try?

He cleared his throat, keeping his eyes trained on the road. "Jackie, I feel like we always do what you want to do and you don't really listen to what I have to say. And it kinda pisses me off." He waited with bated breath to see what sort of response this would elicit from her.

"I mean..." Jackie was searching for words. "I know that I'm kind of pushy, but I don't know how to stop." she shrugged helplessly. "It's just who I am, Steven."

Hyde had pulled into the parking lot by this time. And he was more than kinda pissed now. _She's not even apologizing! Or saying she can be a bitch, but she'll try to work on it! I mean, I talk about my feelings like a total pansy and that's all she has to say to me?_ Hyde angrily opened his door, stepping out and starting to walk towards the theater. He could hear the sound of Jackie's huge platforms clomping behind him.

"Steven, wait a second!" he heard her call. He debated on whether or not to turn around but, deciding that would open up a whole other can of worms, he spun around to face her.

"I said being pushy is who I am," she said breathlessly. "I didn't say I wasn't going to try to change. I mean, it's hard! It's hard to change who you are!" she crossed her arms. "Wouldn't it be hard for you to start talking about your feelings and going out to parties all the time?" _Alright, she's got a point there_.

"I know I can be a bitch," Jackie said, coming to stand closer to him. "And I know I don't listen to you sometimes. And I'm trying to be better, I really am! But you can't expect me to change overnight." She placed a hand on his folded arms. "I know it's not much, but….I'll meet you halfway, Steven. And someday, we won't have to meet halfway; we'll just be on the same page."

Hyde looked at her, with her tentative smile and her eyes shining with earnest thoughts and good intentions. Sure, they fought, but it was times like these that made him realize that every bad day, every angry night….well, it was all worth it, so long as she just kept looking at him like that.

He slung an arm around her shoulder, pulling her in close to him. "Jackie, that might just be the nicest thing you've ever said to me." He laughed. "Hell, it might be the nicest thing you've ever said, period."

She rolled her eyes. "Don't make me regret letting you pick the movie tonight." Hyde glanced down at her, smiling. She smiled back. Lately, it seems like that's all they ever did. And Hyde didn't mind that one bit.


	51. I Wanted You To Have It

" **I wanted you to have it"**

Jackie wasn't sure what was up with Hyde today, but he had been acting strange. _Maybe he's still mad about Michael getting me that sweater for my birthday_ , she worried. Hyde could be so weird sometimes; either he didn't care at all, or he cared so much that it was almost ridiculous. They had been hanging out at the Hub with everyone, but Hyde had been anxious, bouncing his knee and drumming on the table the whole time. Finally, Jackie had leaned over to him and said, "Wanna get outta here?"

"Yes!" he exclaimed. "I mean….uh, yeah, that's cool." He pasted his usual cool facade back in place as Jackie snickered, leading him out of the Hub and to his car. They had gone back to the Formans' where, Jackie assumed, they would fool around in the basement until everyone else got back. She was surprised when Hyde had her sit on the couch, then went back to his room to get something. _If he wants to smoke, he's just gonna have to wait until everybody else gets here_.

"Jackie," she heard the clomp of his boots on the concrete and, as she turned around, he handed her a box with a ribbon on it. "Happy birthday."

"Steven," she smiled, already sliding the ribbon off the box. "You shouldn't have!" She eagerly opened the box and lifted out….

"It's a Led Zeppelin t-shirt!" she was using her fake-cheerful voice, praying Hyde wouldn't notice. She continued to look at it. _Haven't I seen him wearing this before? Oh, I_ so _have!_ "And it's used!" _Wow, Steven is really bad at giving presents._ She looked over to see that he had a satisfied grin on his face.

"Yeah, it's my favorite one," he said casually. "You're with me now, so I wanted you to have it." Jackie could feel that old familiar sensation that Hyde always gave her: her heart felt like it was expanding, trying desperately to hold on to all this love that she had for him. It was a beautiful gift, one that he had really thought about. It meant she belonged with him.

"Oh Steven," she hugged the shirt to her chest. "I love it!" Then, a horrifying thought crossed her mind. "Do I have to wear it?"

"No," he laughed.

"Steven, I _love_ it!" she said again, then burst into giggles. "How about I wear it when I stay in your room?" she winked at him. Hyde's mouth twisted into a smirk and Jackie knew that, behind those glasses, his eyes were lit up with mischief.

"Why don't you try it on right now?" And they were off to the bedroom. _Best birthday ever_ , Jackie smiled to herself. _Best boyfriend ever_.


	52. I'll Be Out Front

" **I'll be out front"**

"No, Donna, come on!" Jackie was pleading.

"Jackie, I'm sorry, but I've got work," Donna sounded as frustrated as Jackie felt. "I can't come pick you up."

Jackie sighed heavily. She had gone up to Madison to visit her grandmother and, now that it was time to come home, she couldn't get a ride back from the bus station. Her parents were MIA, as usual, and Jackie didn't know who else to call.

"Do you think….maybe the Formans could-?" Jackie said hesitantly.

"I wouldn't ask," Donna said quickly. "Laurie got brought home by the cops last night, so Red isn't exactly in a giving mood."

"Donna, I don't know what to do! I don't have anybody else," Jackie was trying not to get hysterical. She knew she had a little trouble keeping a handle on her emotions, often blowing things out of proportion. But it broke her heart to think that she didn't have anyone to help her out. As popular as she was, Jackie had only five close friends.

"Look, it'll be okay! I can come by when I get off work! You'll just-

"Jackie?" Donna's voice was cut off, replaced with a familiar raspy tone. "When are you getting back?"

"Um," Jackie was trying to gather her thoughts, surprised to hear from Hyde. "I get in at 3:15"

"I'll be out front," Hyde said shortly, and Jackie could just _hear_ his eyes rolling. "Now, will you hang up and stop bothering Donna? We're trying to watch Gilligan's Island."

"Ok, fine," Jackie snapped, then softened her tone. "Steven?"

"Yeah?" he sounded impatient.

"Thanks. I'm glad I can count on you."

"Uh-well, I….I mean, any of us would've done it," he stuttered. "See you at 3:15, kid."

Jackie heard the click of the phone hanging up. She smiled to herself. Hyde always came through for her.


	53. I Dreamt About You Last Night

" **I dreamt about you last night"**

"Dreams are so weird, man," Eric lifted another spoonful of ice cream up to his mouth. "I mean, they _feel_ real. So, _are_ they real?" Another day, another circle, which meant yet another discussion about nothing. During the circle, Hyde always thought that whatever they were talking about was vitally important but, a few hours later, he could never remember what they had even been talking about.

"One time I dreamed that I was married to a giant gummy bear," Fez stared dreamily off into the distance. "It was magical."

"Nah, man," Hyde leaned forward. "Dreams aren't real; they're a projection of the future! Whatever you dream about will come to pass!"

"So I'm getting married to a gummy bear?" Fez looked worried. "Ai, no, this is very bad."

"Steven, that can't be true," Jackie was shaking her head from across the table at him. "I dream things all the time that just can't come true."

"Like what?" Hyde scoffed. _Jackie probably dreams about riding a unicorn, or getting married to Kelso; stupid, girly shit like that._

"Well, I dreamt about you last night," Jackie shrugged, taking another puff of the joint Eric had passed to her. Hyde froze. Whatever Jackie said next could potentially ruin the easy friendship they had fallen into this summer. With no Kelso or Donna, they had had to get used to each other.

"Ooh, was it sexy?" Fez wiggled his eyebrows.

"Shut up, Fez," Jackie retorted. "No, it wasn't sexy. We were just watching TV down here in the basement, like we always do."

"And….?"

"And that was it." Jackie stuck her tongue out at Fez.

"That sounds like the most boring dream in the world," Eric laughed.

"No, it was nice," Jackie glanced over at Hyde, throwing him a smile. And Hyde felt his heart start to race. Jackie wasn't the only one having dreams about the two of them. Hyde's just usually ended with them making out on the couch. Crazy, right?


	54. You Can Do It

" **You can do it"**

Today was the day of the first big pep rally and Jackie was nervous. After weeks of begging, she had finally gotten everybody to agree to come and see her cheer. Usually, the gang skipped pep rallies and went to go smoke behind the gym, but today? They better have their butts in the bleachers or heads would roll. She didn't have the chance to personally get them to their seats; the cheerleaders had to get ready in the locker room.

"So Jackie, I saw you talking to a major hottie in the hallway today," Veronica, one of Jackie's fellow cheerleaders, giggled.

"Michael _is_ dreamy," Jackie agreed, pulling on her sweater.

"No, not him!" Veronica widened her eyes. "That scruffy guy with the shades….Steven Hyde!" she exclaimed, happy to have remembered his name. Jackie froze, mouth wide open in shock.

"Veronica, you think _Steven_ is a hottie?" she asked incredulously.

"Yeah," she nodded, tying one of her shoelaces. "He's such a rebel….it's so hot!" She stared dreamily off into the distance, then snapped out of it. "So what were you two talking about?"

Jackie stifled a laugh. That "dreamy" conversation she had been having with Hyde was her giving him some cash for some…..film. What? She had her own stash, too! The conversation had soon turned to Jackie herself, as it always did.

 _"Being this small sucks," she pouted. "They use me as a flier, which means they're gonna throw me up in the air! What if they don't catch me and I break something? I mean, Josie is such a bitch, I wouldn't put it past her."_

 _Hyde leaned up against the lockers. "Don't worry about it, short stuff." Jackie punched him in the arm before he continued. "If they drop you, it'll be the best pep rally of all time." He grinned, but the smile soon vanished; Jackie kicked him as hard as she could in the shins and flounced off._

"He's friends with Michael," Jackie finally settled on a response, then looked up at the clock. "Oh, we have to get going!" As she and the rest of the cheerleaders filed into the gym, jumping up and down and trying to work the crowd into a peppy frenzy, Jackie scanned the bleachers, trying to find her friends. Yep, there they are. Donna and Fez were the only ones clapping and cheering half-heartedly. Eric and Hyde were snickering about something, and Michael was ogling all of the bouncy cheerleader boobs. Typical. But thoughts of her friends quickly disappeared; the routine was hard and Jackie had to concentrate.

The moment Jackie had been dreading came entirely too soon. Brenda and Sarah, two stockier members of the squad, lifted her up, holding on tightly to her feet.

"Go! Fight! Win!" Jackie yelled between clenched teeth. Any minute now, she was supposed to jump into the air and just trust that the girls below her would catch her! As she pumped a fist in the air, her gaze came back to her friends. Michael and Fez were clapping along like idiots, Donna and Eric were making out (surprise, surprise), and Hyde….Hyde was standing, hands cupped around his mouth.

"You can do it!" he yelled, flashing Jackie a grin and a thumbs up. People in the bleachers turned around to stare at him; Steven Hyde didn't come to pep rallies and he didn't shout encouraging things.

Jackie couldn't contain her smile. And as she launched herself upwards, she realized she wasn't afraid anymore.


	55. Take My Jacket, It's Cold Outside

" **Take my jacket, it's cold outside"**

It was winter in Point Place, which meant the group was out doing everyone's favorite wintertime activity: getting high, then sledding down the big hill on the other side of town. Hey, everybody's got traditions, and this was one of theirs.

"Hey, do you think if I sled over that big bump, I'll get some air?" Michael was jumping up and down to stay warm.

"Kelso," Hyde started to say in that official tone he sometimes got when he was lying through his teeth. "Not only will you get some air, you'll probably have enough momentum to launch yourself into space." He turned around to Eric and Jackie, breaking into snickers.

"Aw, alright!" Kelso pumped his fist into the air. _If anyone wanted to see the negative side affects of weed, they would just have to look at Michael_ , Jackie shook her head. She rubbed her hands together and blew on them, trying to get a little warmer. She'd been so out of it in the basement, she hadn't grabbed her jacket before they left for the hill.

"Okay, I'm about to make history, people!" Michael bellowed, backing up, then taking a running leap. He launched himself onto his sled and down the hill.

"Kelso, do not ruin your face!" Fez called worriedly. "That's your bread and butter!"

Jackie collapsed into giggles at that, leaning up against Hyde. _God, pot is just the best! Everything feels a million times funnier!_ She couldn't stop laughing, but no one noticed. Circle time made them all a little….out of it.

"Damn, Jackie," Hyde shoved her upright. "You feel like a popsicle." Jackie just grinned, shrugging her shoulders and returning her gaze to Michael's still-retreating figure.

 _I wonder when the sled is gonna slow down_ , Jackie mused. _I hope he doesn't hit those trees at the end of the field._ She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't even notice Hyde draping his jacket over her, wrapping it tightly around her.

"Take my jacket," he grumbled. "It's cold outside." Jackie felt a goofy smile slide onto her face.

"Aw, Hyde," she squealed. "You're so sweet!" She leaned against him again. There was something about being high that just made her….softer. Easier to be around, probably. As she leaned into Hyde, enjoying the warmth from his jacket and from Hyde himself, she was surprised to feel his arm hook around her waist, pulling her closer. _Maybe weed makes Hyde softer, too._


	56. Have Fun

" **Have fun"**

Hyde hated a lot of things. Hell, hating things was practically his job. But there were few things he hated more than disco. It was possibly the worst "art" form ever created, and yet it was still monstrously popular. Luckily, he had molded his friends' music tastes; they all listen to Zeppelin, the Stones….real music. So, that's why he was so shocked when everybody wanted to go to some disco club up in Kenosha.

"But-but we all hate disco!" Hyde was struggling to come up with an argument.

"Speak for yourself, Hyde," Jackie rolled her eyes, cuddling closer to Kelso's side.

"Ok yeah, disco sucks," Eric was in lecture mode, already gesturing wildly. "But A: it's in Kenosha, which means Red and my mom can't walk in on us at any time." he wrapped an arm around Donna's waist, yanking her closer as she giggled. Hyde could feel his face getting red. "And B," Eric turned back to Hyde. "It'll be fun, man! Anything's fun when we're all together!"

"Shut up," Hyde grumbled, but he knew he had lost this round. _Great; now I get to see Forman feel Donna up in a whole other city. While disco crap plays. Awesome_.

Friday came too soon for Hyde's taste, and before he knew it, they were all loaded up in the Vista Cruiser and on their way to the gates of Hell: a disco.

"Can't I just wait outside in the car?" Hyde moaned. Fez and Donna each had a hold on one of his arms, dragging him towards the door.

"If you just let go and feel the rhythm of the music, you will surely enjoy yourself," Fez said earnestly, as if Hyde really wanted to "feel the rhythm of the music."

"Yeah, Hyde," Donna's eyes were sparkling with laughter. Hyde felt weak at the knees; Donna was the only girl that made him feel like this, the only girl that he would allow to drag him into a disco. So, he went with it, reluctantly making his way through the club to the bar. Sliding $5 to the bartender, Hyde managed to score himself a beer and a front-row seat to his friends' idiocy. Donna and Eric were managing to dance normally, but Kelso? He was a flailing mess, hopping up and down and narrowly missing punching Jackie in the face. He turned around to scam another beer out of the bartender when he felt a presence at his elbow.

"Michael has got to be the most uncoordinated person I have ever met," Jackie blew out a breath, sweeping her hair off her neck and fanning her cheeks.

"Gotta admit," Hyde smirked. "It would be pretty damn funny if he hit someone." Jackie rolled her eyes and, to Hyde's surprise, tugged his beer bottle out of his hand and took a swig. "Jackie, what the-

"Oh, shut up, Hyde," she pressed the bottle back into his hands. "My throat was dry."

Hyde grimaced at her. There was something about Jackie that always rubbed him the wrong way; to be more specific, she didn't bother him. Oh sure, she did things that drove him crazy….except that they didn't. If any other chick had swiped his beer like that he would've freaked. But Jackie? Eh. That was just Jackie. Hyde couldn't figure out what it was, but he figured it was just some sort of Freudian response to the fact that she was a hot chick. Nothing deep.

"Hey, I know you're busy brooding over the downfall of popular music," Jackie's shrill tone cut through his thoughts. "But if you just relax for once, I think you might kinda enjoy this."

"Enjoy disco?" Hyde scoffed. _Never gonna happen_.

"Have _fun_ ," Jackie smiled, eyes all sparkly and full of laughter. "You don't have to be so serious all the time." And with that, she grabbed his hand, yanking him out onto the dance floor with her.

"Jackie, what are you doing?" Hyde was trying to summon up some anger, but he couldn't do it; she was bouncing in front of him like a little puppy and he couldn't yell at her.

"Ah, Hyde my friend," Fez yelled over the music. "I see you have succumbed to the disco!"

"Yeah, something like that," Hyde called back, reluctantly bobbing his head to the music. He watched Fez grab Jackie's hands, both of them twirling around and laughing like maniacs. _Succumbed to disco?_ Hyde thought to himself. _More like succumbed to Jackie_.


	57. You Might Like This

" **You might like this"**

Jackie loved going to Grooves. She loved knowing that Steven had a job, a _real_ one, a job he actually liked. She would go over around closing time, or on inventory days, just to lay on the couch and watch him at work. She was doing just that on a rainy Tuesday, and enjoying herself immensely. Hyde was unboxing records; he knew Jackie well enough that he didn't even attempt to ask for her help.

"Steven, I'm not seeing any Olivia Newton-John records," Jackie said, pushing herself into an upright position.

"That's 'cause I didn't order any," Hyde grunted, lifting another box up to the counter.

"But she's so good! Her music really lifts people's' spirits!" Jackie paused. "Even ugly people!"

Hyde didn't respond; he knew how the argument would play out. They had lapsed back into the easy silence that was always present in their relationship when Jackie spoke again.

"What about the Bee Gees?"

"Jackie," Hyde looked up from the box he was unpacking. "We seriously need to work on your taste in music."

"Well, I'm sorry, but your music is just too loud for me!" Jackie huffed. "The guitars are all weird and everyone is yelling and it makes my head hurt."

"Which is why," Hyde lifted an album out of the box. "I thought you might like this." He handed her a record with a familiar face on it.

"Stevie Nicks?" Jackie looked up at him. "I thought she was in Fleetwood Mac."

"She is, but she wanted to do a solo album." Hyde explained. " _Bella Donna_. It's supposed to be pretty good. And, based on some reviews I read," he plopped down next to her on the couch. "I thought it sounded like something you and I would both like."

Jackie beamed at him. Hyde had trouble telling her how he felt, that he loved her. It was little things like this; looking for a record that they would both like, that showed her he cared.

Hyde set the record on the turntable, settling back onto the couch. Jackie leaned against his shoulder, twining their hands together.

Jackie liked to say that the important memories were the big ones: weddings, funerals, births, first kisses, break-ups. But when she looked back on her own memories, she found that most of them were small, seemingly insignificant moments. Sitting with Hyde on a dingy couch at Grooves, hearing _Leather and Lace_ for the first time, hearing Hyde whisper "this song reminds me of us" into her hair: that was a memory she would never forget.

 _Lovers forever face to face_

 _My city, your mountains_

 _Stay with me stay_

 _I need you to love me_

 _I need you today_

 _Give to me your leather_

 _Take from me my lace_


	58. It Looks Good On You

" **It looks good on you"**

Hyde didn't usually listen to Jackie. Whatever she said went in one ear and straight out the other, and Hyde prefered to keep it that way. Why should he be subjected to "Michael _this_ " and "cheerleader _that_ " and "you're such a burnout, _Hyde_!" No, it was better to zone Jackie out.

So that was why, during circle time that day, it took Hyde about 5 solid minutes to realize that Jackie was talking to him. He felt like he was hearing her through water; he could see her mouth moving and hear sounds, but he had no idea what she was saying. Finally, he came back to his senses.

"Hyde, don't you think I'm right?" Jackie was blinking expectantly at him.

"Um…." Hyde couldn't think of what to say. "Whatever."

"See, Hyde doesn't think it's a bad idea!" Kelso spluttered. "I mean, I'm gonna tape a balloon to my mouth and then see how long I can use it to breath underwater; what could possibly go wrong?" Jackie rolled her eyes.

"Thanks a lot, Hyde. Now this idiot is gonna drown and I'll have to find a new boyfriend!" She crossed her arms, sticking out her lower lip in a ridiculous pout. And Hyde couldn't help himself, he just couldn't. He burst out laughing, laughing so hard he felt a pain in his side. Kelso snickered along, so high that he would laugh at anything, regardless of if there was a joke or not. Jackie was quiet, though. As Hyde came up for air, he caught a glimpse of her face. He expected it to be twisted into a scowl, but was surprised to see her….smiling? At him?

"What?" he furrowed his brow, trying to dig through his murky mind and think of all the twisted and horrible reasons Jackie Burkhart would be smiling at him.

"You should smile more," she said simply. "It looks good on you."

Hyde felt that familiar leap in the pit of his stomach, the one that said "you're in deep, buddy," the leap that had started happening every time Jackie Burkhart threw a smile his way. But Hyde couldn't help himself, he just couldn't. He smiled back, so wide that his cheeks hurt. Jackie started to laugh and Hyde decided that yeah, this wasn't all he wanted, but for now? He was content to make her laugh. It was enough; it had to be enough.


	59. Call Me If You Need Anything

" **Call me if you need anything"**

Hyde was trying his best not to seem excited. All those years of mastering the art of zen, of masking his emotions, were about to crumble because Hyde was just so damn _excited_. After years without a dad, Bud had finally reappeared on the scene. And not only was he sticking around, he wanted Hyde to live with him. A real home! So Hyde had said yes. He was packing up his stuff at the Formans right now, trying to stop himself from just sweeping everything into his duffel and running to Bud's apartment; that's how desperate he was for a home and a family.

"Man, I was just kinda getting used to having you around," Eric had his hands shoved in his pockets, looking down at his feet.

"Hey, it's not like I'm dying," Hyde interjected, folding some of his many t-shirts. "I'll still hang out here; I'm just gonna get to live above ground now." He waited until Eric looked up to shoot him a crooked smile.

"Hey, do you think Bud is gonna let you have chicks over all the time?" Kelso was fiddling with one of Eric's G.I. Joe dolls. "I bet he'll let you have beer all the time, huh?"

"Yeah, maybe," Hyde brushed him off. After awhile, the guys had left, getting bored with watching him pack up his stuff. He was stacking some of his books when he heard soft footsteps coming towards his room.

"Fez, I swear I haven't found that bag of candy you stashed in here, I'll tell you if I find it!" he turned around, but instead of Fez, he was met with Jackie.

"Oh, hey," he said awkwardly. She just smiled and leaned against the doorframe.

"So," she began. "You're really gonna live with your dad, huh?"

"Yeah, looks like it," Hyde turned back to his duffel. Neither of them spoke, and Hyde figured Jackie had wandered back out into the basement, but she piped up again.

"Are you sure it's a good idea? I mean, he ran out on you and never called or anything! How can you-

"Jackie," Hyde spoke evenly, trying not to yell, to tell her she didn't know shit about what she was talking about. "I know what I'm doing. I know who Bud is. And it's really none of your damn business what I do." He held eye contact with her, wanting to impress in her how serious he was.

But really, was Jackie saying anything he hadn't already thought of? He had gone over the situation in his head a hundred times, thinking of every possible way Bud could disappoint him. But….well, Bud was family. And Hyde would never admit this to anyone, but a family was what he wanted more than _anything_ ….except for maybe backstage passes to a Zeppelin show. So he was quieting all those voices in his head and stubbornly pressing on, hoping that _this_ time, it would stick.

Jackie didn't say anything, but she didn't leave, either. Hyde went back to packing, hoping she would go back to the basement so he wouldn't have to feel her silent concern for him. _Why does she even care? We don't worry about each other; we're like….archenemies_. He zipped up his duffel and turned to head upstairs to tell Red and Mrs. Forman goodbye. Jackie was still there in the doorway, with that weird look in her eyes.

"Well," Hyde shifted his feet uncomfortably. "I'm off." She nodded, stepping back so he could exit the small room he had so recently called home. But as he placed one foot on the basement steps, Jackie called out, "Hey!" Hyde stopped and turned back to her, wondering what she could possibly want now.

"Um," she looked uncertain. "You know….if things don't….well, if you run into any trouble or….I don't know…." she looked up at Hyde and he could see caring and concern and everything she _shouldn't_ feel about him in her eyes. "Call me if you need anything." she finished, quickly returning her gaze to the floor.

Hyde couldn't put a word to his feelings right now, but there was a big part of him that wanted to run down the stairs and wrap Jackie up in his arms. He chalked it up to the fact that he didn't have a real mom, so he was a sucker for any woman who seemed to give a shit about his well-being. So he shrugged, pasting his well-worn, Steven-Hyde smirk on his face.

"Don't worry about me, doll," he took another step up the stairs. "But thanks for the offer."

She smiled, staying in the basement as Hyde mounted the stairs, headed towards a new future; a future where he had a dad and a real home. He should be ecstatic, right? So how come with every step he took, his gut was telling him to run back to the basement?


	60. I Did The Dishes

**Author's Note: on my last chapter, someone commented asking if I would write any more Jackie x Hyde stories. The answer is yes, of course! I'm working on something right now (I'll probably post the first chapter tomorrow); also, I have written a small one-shot from Hyde's POV that I published a few weeks ago. Again, thank you so much for your comments; they really make my day :) I hope you enjoy the rest of the story!**

" **I did the dishes"**

Jackie wasn't sure, but she thought she heard someone moving around downstairs. She stirred lazily, still half-asleep, reaching an arm out to feel where Hyde was. Her hand only felt empty space. She shifted up on her elbows, cracking open her eyes. Hyde was nowhere to be found. He wasn't reading one of her Nancy Drew books, like she sometimes found him doing when she was still asleep (he made her swear not to tell anyone). And she didn't hear anyone in the bathroom. _I guess he went downstairs?_ Jackie pushed herself out of bed, glancing at the clock on her bedside table. _2 am….typical_. She snorted. Hyde could never stay asleep and she often awoke at strange hours to find him awake and absorbed in a book or TV show. She made her way slowly down the stairs, thanking her lucky stars (again) that her parents weren't home. Sure, it sucked being in her house alone, but ever since Hyde found out she was living here by herself, he had started coming over and staying with her. Sometimes, Jackie pretended that they were married and that this was their house. Silly, huh?

"Steven, what are you doing?" she rubbed her eyes and yawned, standing in the doorway of the kitchen. Hyde was standing over the sink in his boxers and a t-shirt, looking very surprised to see her.

"Hey, I thought you were asleep," he tried to change the subject, but Jackie noticed an object in his hands.

"Steven, what are you doing with a scrub brush?" Jackie was more awake now, and a whole lot more curious.

"Well, uh," he hedged uncomfortably. "I….uh, I did the dishes." She saw him set his jaw, ready for any burns she would hurl at him for waking up in the middle of the night to wash some dishes. That was Mrs. Forman-like behavior. But Jackie just smiled, trying not to giggle.

"Oh, you did the dishes," she nodded, sliding a serious look on her face, nodding authoritatively.

"Well, I noticed they were piling up and I know you're no good at this crap so I-" Hyde cut off his rambling, getting a better look at her laughing eyes. "You're making fun of me, aren't you?"

"No, no, Steven," Jackie was giggling as she brought a hand up to cup his cheek. "I think it's really sweet." She brought his head down to her level, resting his forehead on hers. She could see his eyes without the usual barrier of his sunglasses, and they were full of happiness. They always were when she was around.

"Sweet, huh?" Hyde grumbled, one side of his mouth quirking up in that half-smile of his that Jackie loved so much.

"Yes, sweet," Jackie leaned forward, kissing him slowly. "You're sweet, Steven Hyde."

"Only for you, doll," he smiled back, laying a kiss on her forehead. "Only for you."


	61. I'll Pick It Up After Work

" **I'll pick it up after work"**

Jackie couldn't believe she had a job, a real job. She had a desk and a typewriter and everything! The only downside? Christine St. George was a raging bitch. Seriously! I mean, Jackie had done everything right; sharpened the pencils, made coffee, taken messages like a pro. Why wasn't Christine charmed by her? Everyone else seemed to be. Ethan from marketing was two days away from eating out of the palm of her hand. Anyways, to make a long story short; Jackie was frazzled. When the phone rang, she almost screamed from frustration. _If I have to take one more message to that crazy shrew, I'll lose it_.

"Hello, Christine St. George's office, how can I help you?" Jackie recited dutifully.

"Yeah hey, it's me," a familiar voice spoke quickly.

"Steven?" Jackie wrinkled her nose. "What do _you_ want?" Steven should be the _last_ person calling her, but he just didn't get it. Hyde thought they could just go back to the friendly animosity that was their relationship before they actually got involved. Maybe it wasn't painful for him, but for Jackie? Seeing him with Samantha, sitting with him in the basement; hell, even just looking at him was torture. She had announced to the basement that she was done with men for the time being, but she knew she was really only done with every man that wasn't Steven.

"Listen, I need your help," he was almost tripping over his words, and Jackie was curious as to what was making him wig out like this. "A guy is gonna drop off an envelope at the store today and I need you to go and pick it up sometime this afternoon and bring it to the basement."

"Why can't you do it?"

"Sam has my car," he fumed. "And before you say anything else, I called literally everyone else. You're my last resort."

"Wow, just what a woman loves to hear," Jackie's tone was acidic. "What's in the envelope anyways?"

"W.B. is putting the store in my name and he's messengering the papers over. I gotta fill 'em all out and sign them by tomorrow." Jackie could hear the excitement in his voice. He liked to pretend that he didn't care about the store one way or the other, but Jackie knew that he secretly liked the responsibility of it. He liked feeling grown up, like he could pull his own weight.

"What's in it for me?" she licked her lips, wanting him to joke around, wanting to feel like they were friends, like they were _anything_ ; anything but two people who used to love each other.

"I'll buy you an ice cream cone," Hyde's sarcastic snap came back and Jackie smiled into the phone. Maybe Hyde wanted to be friends, too.

"I'll pick it up after work," she promised, scribbling a note to herself.

"Hey, Jackie," Hyde's tone was softer. "Thanks. I really mean it, thank you."

Jackie pressed her lips together, trying to stop herself from screaming. There was a time when Hyde could ask her to do anything and she would've dropped everything to help him. Now, here she was, just picking some papers up for him and he was thanking her like she was gonna send him to Vegas for a week. _Vegas…..fuck Vegas_.

"Yeah, no problem," she managed to say, marveling at how nonchalant she sounded.

"See you at home?" Hyde said. Jackie closed her eyes, trying to stop the tears before they spilled out onto her desk. Ever since Samantha had moved in, the Forman's hadn't felt like home. Steven hadn't felt like home. Everything was wrong and there was nothing anyone could do to fix it.

"See you at home," she said quietly, then hung up. She got up from her desk and hurried to the bathroom. Most people couldn't resist the sight of a crying Jackie Burkhart, but she didn't want anyone's pity. She just wanted to go back to the way things used to be. And, until Kelso finally invented that time machine he was always talking about, that wasn't going to happen any time soon.


	62. No Reason

" **No reason"**

It was a phrase Hyde mumbled a lot, especially with Jackie. Because really, there wasn't a reason! He would just do things without thinking and then, Jackie would be looking up at him with her crazy, mismatched eyes like he was a hero or something.

After he agreed to take her to the stupid prom and everyone around him was mystified: "You're taking her to prom? Why?"

"No reason."

After he punched that dill-hole Chip: "Steven, what happened? Why'd you punch him?"

"No reason."

After he picked her up from that disaster of a party, after he held her hand at that dumb slasher flick, after a million small scenes from their daily life: "Why are you being so nice to me?"

And he would simply shrug and say "No reason." But obviously there was a reason. He just couldn't bring himself to admit it to anyone. But at night, when he would lay awake in his bed, staring at the ceiling….well, he knew what it was. He had _feelings_ for Jackie. Christ, what a joke. I mean, God certainly had a good sense of humor, that's all Hyde was saying. Because for him to like her? Well, it was pure lunacy. Jackie was mean and loud and bossy and a total square and she was always kicking him in the shins. She liked the Captain and Tennille for God's sake! But he couldn't deny that she was beautiful. He couldn't deny that when he saw her crying, he got this weird feeling in the pit of his stomach and wanted to do anything he could to make it stop. And he couldn't deny how his heart beat faster when she smiled at him. But there was nothing he could do. Jackie had Kelso. She didn't want Hyde. _And that's fine_ , Hyde thought as he rolled over, trying to go to sleep, _because I don't want her_.

But the next day, Jackie ran into the basement with a huge gash on her knee and tears in her eyes and "Steven, Mrs. Forman isn't home and there's gravels stuck in my knee and please please _please_ " and how could Hyde say no? So he got some tweezers and he grumbled about how he _so_ didn't want to be doing this, Jackie just nodding and sniffling.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," she gulped. "Just get the gravel out!"

He rolled his eyes, concentrating on the task at hand, trying not to get stuck on the fact that he was holding one of her legs and it was smooth and tan and he wondered what it would feel like to-

"Steven?" Jackie's voice broke through his thoughts. "Why'd you stop?"

Hyde shook his head slightly, trying to snap himself out of this crazy Jackie-fog he was trapped in. "No reason," he found himself saying, his knee-jerk reaction to anyone asking him about anything involving Jackie. _Man, I gotta get some new material_. So he got back to work and neither of them said anything else until he was done, wrapping a band-aid around her knee.

"Alright, good as new," Hyde shifted her leg off his knee, glad to be out of such close proximity with Jackie.

"Thank you," she gushed. "I don't know what I would've done if you weren't here!" And before Hyde could hit her with a sarcastic zinger, something that would make her stop _looking_ at him like that, she hit him with the big guns. She smiled at him, that smile that made her eyes sparkle and Hyde go weak at the knees. And he found himself giving her a small smile back.

"No problem," he said, picking up a magazine. Flipping through it, pretending to read the articles, he found himself questioning what it was about her that drove him crazy with wanting. And all he came up with was _No reason….every reason_.


	63. I Noticed

**Author's Note: I just published the first chapter of my new fic, 5 Times Jackie Said Sorry (And One Time She Didn't). Please check it out and tell me what you think! **

" **I noticed"**

Jackie didn't get drunk too often, but when she did, she got absolutely plastered. She would wake up the next morning with a killer headache, missing a shoe, and with no memory of how she had gotten home the night before. Her friends were always eager to fill her in on what had happened, though. As she brought her beer bottle up to her lips, she had a feeling it was gonna be another one of those nights.

"Hey, maybe you should take it easy on the Budweiser," someone cautioned her. She turned to see Hyde's face swimming in front of her eyes.

"Nope," she said snippily. "I'm gonna have a good time tonight." She stumbled away from Hyde, trying to find Michael. The party they were at was loud and crowded; Jackie hated it. Se found herself longing for the peaceful basement, full of smoke and laughter and Steven sitting across from her- _wait, what? No, no, that's not what I meant_. Jackie was trying to clear her head, but everything was cloudy and a little distorted and she found herself wondering why weed was illegal and alcohol wasn't. Weed didn't make her stumble on her feet or barf later that night. _Wait, where was I going? Oh yeah, Michael_. She was in a kitchen now, gripping the counter and trying to make out a familiar face in the crowd.

"Jackie, I really think Kelso should take you home," a voice was nagging her, someone was tugging on her arm and she whirled around to confront whoever it was.

"Steven? Again?" she wrinkled her nose. "Seriously, leave me alone, I swear I'm fi-

Jackie felt that lurch in her stomach that only meant one thing. She ran to the sink and proceeded to puke her guts out.

"Aw, Jesus," she heard Hyde groan.

"Go get Michael!" she managed to snap at him. She heard his footsteps leaving the kitchen. Jackie rested her head on the counter. This was not how she had wanted to spend her night.

"Hey," Hyde was back. "So, uh, I can't find Kelso. Someone told me he already left, so…." he trailed off. Jackie could feel the hot sting of tears in her eyes. She was mortified. Her boyfriend had ditched her at a house party!

"Jackie? You okay?" and there was Steven's stupid voice again. God, why couldn't he just leave her alone?

"Steven, please just-" and then she was puking again, not even bothering to suppress the tears that were now streaming down her cheeks.

"Why me?" she heard Hyde mutter. "Why is it always me?" And then she felt rough hands sweeping her hair off her neck, holding it out of the way. "Get it all out, kid." he said calmly.

Jackie finished soon enough, lifting her head slowly to see Hyde still standing before her.

"Thanks, Steven," she bit her lip. As drunk as she was, she still had the common decency to be embarrassed.

"Come on, Burkhart," he sighed, clapping a hand on her shoulder. "I'm taking you home." And Jackie was shocked to find herself going along with it, not putting up a fight or making a scene. They were both silent as they made their way out of the house and towards Hyde's car, Jackie stumbling and leaning on Hyde. She managed to get in his car without any help, Hyde threatening "If you barf in my car, I'll kill you."

As they drove, Hyde fiddled with the radio, finally settling on a rock station. Jackie rested her head on the window, enjoying how the cold window felt on her throbbing head.

Hyde suddenly cleared his throat. "I know, I'm the last person who should be preaching sobriety," he began, looking uncomfortable. "But don't you think you should lay off the sauce?"

"You're right," Jackie turned her head slowly to look at him. "You are the last person who should be telling me to stop drinking."

"Hey, I'm just trying to look out for you!"

"Oh, since when have you cared about me?"

"That's not the point!" he snapped and neither of them spoke. Hyde finally broke the silence, taking a deep breath and saying, "Look, I noticed that you drink a lot….when things are bad with Kelso."

"Oh, you noticed?" she said scathingly.

"Yeah, I noticed."

Jackie closed her eyes, trying not to cry again. Why did Hyde have to be so nice? It made it harder to hate him. And the nicer he was to her, the easier it was to compare his actions to Michael's. Who had ditched her at a party? Michael. Who had held her hair while she puked in a sink? Steven. And which one was she dating? Yeah, Jackie didn't like comparing the two.

"So I drink when things are bad with Michael, that's what you're saying?" she let out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding.

"I'm saying that maybe you should think about why you'd rather be drunk than actually call him on his shit." Hyde gripped the steering wheel tighter, obviously anticipating a fight from Jackie. But she was tired of fighting. Tired of trying to make Michael love her, tired of fighting and yelling and crying. Tired of feeling like she was holding the weight of the world on her shoulders. She couldn't do it right now; not tonight.

"Jackie? You okay?" Hyde was asking her again. _God, all he ever does is ask me if I'm alright. He must think I'm made of glass_.

"I'm fine," she cleared her throat. But the weight of those words bore on her heavily, and before she could do anything, her face crumpled up into sobs.

"Oh-oh, geez," Hyde sounded scared. Jackie had her head in her hands, but she felt the car pull over. And then, Hyde's tentative touch, rubbing her back like her mom used to do when she cried. That thought made Jackie cry harder.

"Listen, you're gonna be fine," Hyde's voice, rough as gravel, always comforted her. "I mean, you're just drunk right now. Everything feels worse when you're drunk. And I don't know what I'm talking about. Hell, _I'm_ drunk! You and Kelso are great. Like-like….peanut butter and jelly!" Jackie chuckled weakly at that, looking up at him. Hyde had taken his shades off, looking at her with all the concern and care that Michael never had. _I gotta stop comparing them_. She wiped the tears off her face.

"I know, I know, I'm good. Just drunk tears, you know?" she sat up straight, looking at Hyde expectantly.

"Alright, then," he looked relieved that she was no longer crying. As he started the car up again, Jackie felt his arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer to him. And, although she had promised to stop comparing Steven and Michael, she found herself wishing that Michael would hold her like this: strong, but gentle. Reassuring. Warm. But for now, she had Hyde and that was enough. That was more than enough.


	64. It's My Treat

" **It's my treat"**

Hyde was hungry. It wasn't anything new; life with an absent father and a deadbeat mom had more downs than ups. He grabbed food whenever he could, and that was usually enough to get him through. Today, however, he was going through a rough patch. Edna was away for the weekend, he didn't have money for groceries, and Forman was out of town, which meant he couldn't go over there and raid the fridge. Well, he could; he knew where they kept the spare key. But he would never break into the Forman's house. That was a level of disrespect that even he wouldn't cross. So, he was hanging out at the Hub, watching Donna do homework and pretending he wasn't starving.

"How come I never see you doing homework, and yet your grades are still pretty decent?" Donna looked up from her papers, squinting at Hyde. He just smirked.

"All that circle time just enhanced my already stellar intelligence," he crossed his arms.

"Yeah, okay," Donna snorted. "So why isn't Kelso a genius?"

"You got me there," he shrugged. Donna opened her mouth to respond when she was interrupted by the flurry of activity that was Jackie Burkhart. Flopping down in the chair next to Donna, she had already launched into a tirade.

"Can you believe my mom and dad don't like Michael?" she rested her elbows on the table, setting her chin in her hands. "I mean, they gave me a gift certificate for the restaurant at the country club, but they said I absolutely couldn't take Michael! Daddy doesn't want him associated with us." She sighed, obviously waiting for Hyde or Donna to commiserate with her.

"Life is a constant struggle," Donna said absent-mindedly, flipping through a notebook.

"I know," Jackie sniffed. "So it looks like I'm taking you two instead." Hyde glanced up quickly. The country club served good food, _real_ food; he hadn't had food like that since the last time he and Edna had pulled a dine-and-dash. But this was Jackie and she never offered anything without expecting something in return. Hyde sat back, waiting for Donna to crush the plans, but was shocked when she closed her book, smiling at Jackie.

"That sounds awesome! My parents are going out tonight, so this is actually perfect." Jackie smiled, then turned to Hyde.

"Steven? You in?" Hyde gulped. He was trying to fight his first instinct, which was to agree to anything Jackie said, as long as he could get a square meal out of it. But that would be charity, and Steve Hyde didn't do charity. So he straightened his sunglasses and responded cooly, "Nah, I'm good."

"Aw, come on," Donna groaned. "Why not?"

"Not hungry," he shrugged. Jackie didn't say anything, just studied him carefully, like she was sizing him up. He was just patting himself on the back for keeping his cool, maintaining the zen, when the unthinkable happened: his stomach let out a loud rumble. Hyde could feel his face getting red.

"Not hungry, huh?" Donna chuckled.

"Oh, shut it, Do-

"Steven," Jackie interrupted. "It's my treat. I mean, my parents gave me the gift certificate, and if we don't go and stuff our faces, then it just goes to waste. Please?" she stuck out her bottom lip.

Hyde was still conflicted, but he was grateful to Jackie. She had just given him reasons to say yes, made it seem like it just might be a favor to her if he went to the stupid restaurant with her and Donna. So, he let his better instincts win out.

"Okay, sure," he rubbed his forehead. "But only because we're spending your bourgeois parents money."

"Alright, then," Jackie smiled, then turned back to Donna. "So, wanna get going?"

That night, the three of them ate like kings. And when the waiter came to clear the table, Jackie said, "Could you box up the leftovers? Thanks."

And when she pressed them into Hyde's hands at the end of the night, insisting that she would never eat it all, and he "would surely find a way to get rid of it, right?" Hyde could see right through her, but he pretended not to. Jackie was trying to be kind, and Hyde appreciated it. _Jackie's kind of a brat_ , he thought as he walked home that night. _But she's alright….yeah, she's alright_.


	65. You Can Go First

" **You can go first"**

There was nothing quite like circle time. Jackie loved it, even though it had taken her a little while to get used to it. Now she knew the ins and outs of it: grab something to eat before you got started or else you would forget and just sit there hungry, don't go home right away because it's hard to talk to your parents high, and don't let Fez get his hands anywhere near you.

There was one unspoken rule of circle time, though, and it was pretty important. Basically, Hyde always got the first puff. They all passed around joints, but Hyde always lit them, and Hyde always took the first puff. Jackie didn't know what she would do if someone ever disrupted this natural order. For example, how would things go down if Michael came into the basement with a stash of his own, lit it himself, and then took the first drag of the joint? Chaos, obviously.

Today, as she, Hyde, Eric, and Fez dragged the furniture into the proper formation, Jackie assumed that everything would be as it always was. She had no reason not to. So that's why she was completely shocked when, after they had all gotten into place, Hyde handed her the unlit joint and said, "You can go first."

"Wha-what?" she stuttered, almost dropping the carefully rolled joint.

"Uh, what gives, man?" Eric laughed uncomfortably.

"Just gonna take it a little slow today, that's all. Thought Jackie could start us off." He winked at her, leaving Jackie speechless. She didn't know what this was about, but hey; she wouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth.

"Thank you, Steven," she smiled, holding the joint between her fingers. She stared at him, eyebrows raised, until he got the message and hastily pulled out his lighter, setting the tip of the joint aflame. She took a drag, breathing the smoke out slowly, like the gang had taught her. _Is Hyde staring at me? With those damn glasses, I can never tell_.

Jackie couldn't tell if that first hit was sweeter because it was the first, or because Hyde had given it to her. It didn't matter. All that mattered was that they were all together in the circle.


	66. I'll See You Later

" **I'll see you later"**

Hyde was pretty rebellious, but even he was shocked at his latest plans. Chrissy, his badass new girlfriend, had told him to come to New York with her. And he was gonna do it. He was finally gonna get out of Point Place and do something with his life. New York was a haven for burnouts like him! He was finally gonna be around people who understood him, people who were cool and who didn't give a fuck about the rules. _His_ people. And he was gonna have Chrissy at his side. Damn, she was the coolest girl he had ever met. Hyde couldn't believe that he had ever been hung up on Donna.

He was at the Hub, hiding from Eric, who was trying to convince him to stay. _How could he expect me to stay? There's a whole world out there and I wanna see it! There's nothing keeping me in Point Place, anyways_.

Hyde was eating a burger and thinking about everything he was gonna have to do in order to get ready to leave, when Jackie breezed through the door and headed straight for his table.

"Hey, Steven," she said carelessly. "What's up? Where is everybody?" Hyde opened his mouth to respond, but Jackie was already on to the next topic. "I'm trying to avoid Michael; we're fighting right now. He keeps getting frustrated when he's trying to take my bra off and he just rips the hooks off of them. He's ruining them! It's _so_ annoying." She grabbed a french fry off his plate, popping it into her mouth.

"Sounds riveting," Hyde muttered.

"Anyways, I was wondering if you wanted to go to the putt-putt course this weekend? Fez and Eric want me to do some sort of tournament with them and I'm assuming you wanna come, too?"

"Jackie, I-

"They're such idiots, but they're good guys," Jackie laughed, eating another fry. "I mean, they really do drive me crazy, but isn't it nice knowing that you've got a group of people who will drop everything to help you out and be there for you?"

Hyde felt his heart twist. He had been trying not to think about the fact that he would be leaving his friends behind. They had always been the one thing he could count on in his messed up life, and leaving Point Place meant leaving them, too.

"-and anyways, she's not even that cute," Jackie finished a story that Hyde had obviously not been paying attention to. "Oh, gosh, look at the time!" she hopped up from the table. "I'll see you later?" she questioned.

Hyde heard those words echo through his head: " _I'll see you later."_ Would she, though? Could Hyde really leave his friends behind? New York was great and all, but he had time for all that, didn't he? He was only 17, after all. And Jackie was staring at him with those big, sparkly eyes of hers and how could Hyde tell her no, she wouldn't see him later? He couldn't. So he said the only thing he could.

"See you later, Burkhart."

Jackie smiled, turning on her heel to head out of the Hub. Hyde was surprised to find that he felt, not disappointed, but relieved at the thought of staying in Point Place. As he watched Jackie go, he thought, _Just can't leave the gang. Can't leave Jackie_.

In later years, Jackie would be thrilled and touched to find out that she was the reason Hyde had decided not to leave after all.

"It was all that shit you said about friendship," Hyde would insist, as Jackie smacked a kiss on his cheek.

"Oh Steven, you loved me even then!"

"Yeah, yeah."


	67. Can I Kiss You?

" **Can I kiss you?"**

Jackie and Hyde had both decided; this….whatever it was that was going on between them….was to remain a secret. Both insisted it was because they couldn't ruin their respective reputations, but Jackie had a sneaking suspicion that they preferred secrecy because it was sexier. I mean, what's hotter than wanting to touch someone, but having to restrain yourself? And no one knows that you're all hot and bothered for the guy sitting across from you, or that he's all hot and bothered for you. Sexy. But sometimes, it was just torture.

"I still can't believe Donna's gone, man," Eric moaned, taking another hit of the joint they were passing around. "I mean, she didn't give me time to think or anything!"

"Yeah, but Forman," Hyde leaned forward. "You told her your answer. You said you wouldn't be a second choice. So this is kinda your own fault."

Jackie nodded emphatically. "Steven's right. You were being a dumbass and now Donna's gone and I've had to spend the whole summer with you dweebs."

"Eric, a woman wants to be swept off her feet and told that she is the only thing that matters," Fez said philosophically. Jackie was curious to see where he was going with this topic. "They do not want to be rejected by their lover when they were expecting comfort."

"Well?" Eric turned to Jackie. "Is he right?"

Jackie glanced across the table at Hyde. _God, I would love for him to sweep me off my feet….and take me into his room….and-_

"Jackie?" Eric waved a hand in front of her face. "Earth to Jackie." She shook her head quickly, trying to dispel these thoughts. _Wouldn't things be different if I could just jump his bones right here? Steven would tell Eric and Fez to buzz off and we could be alone…._

"Fez is absolutely right," she said authoritatively. "Girls want a guy to take charge, to-to just take control and-" she broke off, fanning her face a little. "Geez, is it hot in here? I'm hot."

"Me, too," Hyde was staring at her, eyes so wide she could see them behind his sunglasses. Jackie had a feeling Hyde's thoughts were following the same path as her own. It was so painful, knowing that he was so close, and yet so far. Fez and Eric were unintentionally blocking them, keeping them from the release that, as the afternoon wore on, Jackie so desperately needed.

"-they wouldn't just do it, you know? Like, I didn't know that, uh," Eric hesitated. "Girls' having 'alone time' was really that much of a thing. I mean, they don't need sex like we do!"

It was almost as if their friends had picked up on Jackie and Hyde's desires; the conversation was almost exclusively about sex and Jackie could feel herself about to lose it. The joints were doing nothing to calm her down.

"Yes, Jackie, tell us about your self-love habits," Fez grinned wickedly.

"Shut up, man," Hyde growled, jiggling his leg up and down.

"I'm gonna go outside, get some air," Jackie shot up out of her chair, unable to keep her cool for any longer.

"Yeah, me too," Hyde said, not even trying to come up with an excuse that wouldn't place the two of them together.

"Whatever," Eric waved his hand noncommittally. "Fez and me will be here."

Jackie almost sprinted up the basement stairs, stopping in the driveway and turning to face Hyde.

"Holy shit, can I kiss you?" he breathed, already stepping towards her. Jackie laughed, throwing her arms around his neck.

"You know, you don't have to keep asking," she reached a hand up to take his sunglasses off of his face and hook them on his shirt collar. Hyde shrugged.

"Feels kinda shitty not to ask."

"Well, you _can_ kiss me," Jackie smiled as she felt his lips crash into hers. For a rebel from the wrong side of the tracks, Steven sure knew how to sweep a girl off her feet.


	68. I'm Sorry For Your Loss

" **I'm sorry for your loss"**

Hyde felt like punching something. Leo was nowhere to be found and Hyde had a terrible feeling that maybe, just like his parents, Leo had skipped town. He wasn't at the Foto Hut, he wasn't at the Hub, he wasn't hanging around the park. Hyde was gonna go over to his apartment later that night to check it out, but for now, he was stewing in the basement. _Why wouldn't he leave? He doesn't have anything tying him to Point Place. And everyone leaves eventually; it was just a matter of time_. Hyde was fuming, trying to get angry so he wouldn't get sad. A little trick he learned from years with his parents.

"Hey, guys!" Jackie was clattering down the stairs, holding a plate of cookie. "Mrs. Forman made cookies."

"Oh yes," Fez rubbed his hands together, excited at the idea of getting more sugar in him. The gang all started stuffing their faces, but Hyde couldn't be bothered. He was preoccupied with thoughts of Leo. _What if he didn't leave? What if he wandered off and got hurt or something?_

"Steven? Don't you want any?" Jackie's voice interrupted his thoughts, and he looked at her, disgruntled.

"I'm fine, okay?"

"Geez, what's got your panties in a twist?" she sniffed.

"Leo's gone and we don't know where he is." Kelso mumbler through a mouthful of chocolate chip cookie.

"Shut up!" Hyde snapped. But it was too late. Jackie had turned towards him, and Hyde knew she was gonna hit him with a zinger about "the dirty hippie." So he was shocked when she said soberly, "Oh Steven, I'm sorry for your loss"

"He isn't dead!" Hyde snorted. _Wow, compassion really just isn't her thing_.

"Yeah," she said, using her know-it-all tone that everyone hated. "But without Leo, where are you gonna get….the stuff?"

Hyde stared at her, mouth gaping. He hadn't even thought of that. _Aw, crap_.


	69. Take A Deep Breath

" **Take a deep breath"**

Jackie didn't know how or why, but whenever she got upset, she inevitably ended up at Hyde's bedroom door. She would stomp in, raging about Michael leaving her for California, or she would rush in and flop down on his bed, crying about her parents. Hyde would roll his eyes and gripe about her ruining the peaceful atmosphere of his room, but he always did what he could to bolster her spirits. Jackie was always surprised that he didn't insist she leave as soon as she darkened his door, but she knew she was persistent. He had probably tried that, with little to no effect. Today, there was no big show of storming in and dramatically throwing herself on his bed. Instead, she walked slowly to his door and leaned on the frame. She had something big to say today, and she wasn't quite sure she could do it. She stood in the doorway for a few minutes, trying to get her nerve up. Hyde didn't notice her for awhile, his attention on whatever Stephen King book he was reading that week.

"Hey, Steven."

"Jackie?" he closed his book. "What's up?" Jackie walked slowly to his bed, sitting down next to him. She didn't know how to say what she needed to.

"So, um, I know we've been hanging out a lot this summer and I've really enjoyed it," she paused.

"Me, too." Hyde smirked, sliding a hand up her thigh. Jackie's breath hitched in her chest. See, this was why she couldn't do this! She out her hand on top of his, trying to stop him before they got started.

"Well, I just-I don't know-maybe this is just me being crazy but, uh," Jackie could feel her lungs constricting. Her heart was beating so fast, she was sure Hyde could hear it. _Why is this so hard to say?_ "But- I just-I really-oh my god, I think-

"Jackie," Hyde looked worried. He put both hands on her shoulders, staring into her eyes. "Look at me. Take a deep breath." Jackie concentrated on the sky-blue of his eyes, of the steady rhythm of his breaths. She tried to match it. She could feel that panicky feeling in her stomach receding as her breaths regulated.

"Are you okay?" Hyde was rubbing his hands on her upper arms. "Why are you bugging out?"

Jackie didn't know what to say, but now she was sure: there was no way she could tell him what she needed to. So she took a shaky breath and smiled at him.

"My parents….they're driving me crazy," she laughed a little bit, trying to really sell it. Hyde looked at her suspiciously and Jackie prayed he wouldn't dig any deeper.

"Alright then," he appeared satisfied with her answer. "Wanna talk about it?"

"Nah, let's watch Mary Tyler Moore," she pushed herself up off the bed, towing Hyde behind her.

"Jackie, you know I hate that show," he groaned.

"We can make out during the commercial breaks," she called over her shoulder.

"Sounds good"

As Jackie slumped down on the couch, Hyde's arm draped over her shoulders, she was cursing herself; either for wussing out, or actually wanting to tell him in the first place. I mean, how was she supposed to tell Steven Hyde that she thought she just might be in love with him?


	70. Good Luck

" **Good luck"**

Hyde didn't like to talk about school. School was a prison, designed to destroy kids' creativity, and Hyde wished he could just drop out already. There were two problems with that: he knew that he could never do the things he wanted without at least a high school degree, and he refused to follow his parents' path. They were both high school dropouts, and look where that landed them. So, much as he hated it, Hyde tried to at least make decent grades. It was finals week at Point Place High, and Hyde was cramming like crazy. He had to do it all on the sly, though; couldn't have anyone know he was bugging out over school like this. Weirdly enough, Jackie was the only one who knew he cared about his grades the way he did. She had walked in on him studying for a math test once and, when he had admitted he was having trouble with it, she helped him study. It had become a sort of tradition between the two of them; she would help him with math and chemistry, he would proofread her papers and quiz her on American History. That's exactly what they were doing one sunny Sunday morning at the Hub.

"This sucks," Hyde was exasperated. "I mean, X isn't even a number! Why is it in this freakin math problem?"

"That's just Algebra, get used to it," Jackie snapped back. She was flipping through the essay he had just finished going through with a red pen. "What do you mean, my 'paragraphs lack structure'?" she eyed him angrily.

"Just tighten up the loose ends, you know what I mean," Hyde took a swig of Coke. Jackie smashed her face into her textbook.

"Uggghhhhh," her groan was muffled by all the pages. "I'm gonna be so glad when finals are over and it's finally Christmas break and we can relax."

"Yeah," Hyde agreed wistfully. "We can spend all day in the basement…."

"Lots of circle time," Jackie lifted her head and smiled at him. Hyde felt his face heating up, quickly returning his gaze to the scribbled math problems in his notebook.

"But we should, uh, probably get back to studying," he mumbled. "Finals start tomorrow."

The next day, as the gang shuffled into school, yawning and complaining about how much cramming they did the night before, Jackie pulled Hyde aside.

"Steven, I know this is really important for you, so I just wanted to tell you…." she trailed off, then grabbed his hand. Hyde was shocked, but he liked the warm feeling of her skin against his. "Well….good luck, Steven." she squeezed his hand, then skipped down the hall to join Donna; they had the same biology class. Hyde could swear he still felt the warmth of her hand in his.


	71. I Made Reservations

" **I made reservations"**

Jackie loved Valentine's Day. The pink hearts, the gushing declarations of love, the expensive jewelry: it all just screamed "Jackie Burkhart." Valentine's Day with Michael had always meant forcing him to buy her something, forcing him to take her out to dinner, and then enduring a night of mediocre (at best) love-making. But this was her first Valentine's Day with Steven, and she knew that she wasn't able to force him to do anything. Besides, they had _just_ made up at the Valentine's dance the night before; he had forgiven her for the embarrassing outburst when she called _Michael_ her boyfriend. Even though she knew she was on thin ice with Hyde, she couldn't help wishing and hoping for some grand gesture from him. He didn't like to use his words; maybe he would _show_ her how he felt.

"Steven?" she asked, sitting on the kitchen counter and swinging her legs back and forth.

"Yeah?" he responded, absorbed in the newspaper he was reading.

"Do you know what day it is?"

"Sunday?"

"No, Steven, the date!"

"Oh, no," Hyde glanced up, a flicker of annoyance in his eyes. "Jackie, our capitalist society has conned you into believing that there is a certain emphasis you should put on February 14th, but it's all lies! Don't let them in your head, man!"

Jackie rolled her eyes so hard she thought they would fall out of her head. "Steven, you sound like a crazy person when you say things like that."

"Society just wants you to _think_ I'm crazy," he said, getting up and going to the fridge. Jackie slumped her shoulders. _So he's not gonna do anything for Valentine's Day, huh? That's what I get for falling for a burnout who doesn't believe in anything_. She hopped off the counter, straightening her sweater.

"Well, if we're not doing anything tonight, then I'm going over to Donna's. She's going out with Eric later and she needs my help picking an outfit," she sniffed. "Because _some_ people believe in Valentine's Day!" As she made her way to the sliding door of the kitchen, she felt Hyde grab her wrist.

"Now hold on a second, Burkhart," he rolled his eyes. "Just because I don't believe in it doesn't mean I can't….you know….participate." He suddenly looked uneasy, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Oh my God," Jackie pressed her hands together, eyes shining. "Steven, are you-?"

"You can't tell anyone, okay? You gotta swear that you forced me into it," he growled, but Jackie could see the hint of a smile on his face and his eyes twinkling behind his shades. "But….I made reservations at that Italian place Mrs. Forman likes so much and-"

The rest of his sentence was cut off by Jackie squealing and throwing her arms around his neck.

"Oh, I knew you would come through for me!" she couldn't contain her smile. Hyde tried to suppress a grin, hands coming to rest on her hips.

"I knew you would bust my balls about it for the next decade if I didn't," he deadpanned. Jackie giggled and planted a sloppy kiss on his lips. Steven really was the best, wasn't he?


	72. I'll Do It For You

" **I'll do it for you"**

If Hyde went back in time to just two years ago and told his past-self that one day, not only would he be dating Jackie Burkhart, but he would _like_ it…..well, past-Hyde would probably just off himself right there. But present-Hyde? Well, what could he say? Against all odds, his weird love-her-hate-her crush on Jackie had actually come to pass. And he didn't hate it. In fact, he might just love it. Might just love her. It wasn't anything big or important about her; it was the little things she said and did, the things she did without thinking. Like today, for example.

Hyde was cursing everything and everyone he could think of. Today, he had come back to his room to find that Kelso had tied his shoelaces in knots. And not the fun kind of knots. These were monster knots, knots that had no intention of ever coming unsnarled. It wasn't a huge deal; in fact, Hyde rarely wore his sneakers. But he was having one of those days where everything felt shitty and he was just gonna take it all personally, thank you very much.

"Damn it!" he burst out, slamming one of his beat-up sneakers onto the table. Jackie looked up from the magazine she was reading, a little alarmed. Once she figured out the object of his frustration, she bit her lip, trying not to laugh.

"Having some trouble there, Steven?"

"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up," he grumbled. He wasn't in the mood for the playful teasing that was a hallmark of their relationship. He continued to tug and yank at the laces, knowing that he wasn't accomplishing anything, but was too stubborn to care. Suddenly, he felt a hand close over his own. _Jackie_.

"Steven," she said softly. "That vein in your forehead is gonna burst. I'll do it for you."

"But I-"

"I'm saving you from a heart attack," she said with finality, pulling the shoes out of his grasp and going to work at them herself.

Hyde leaned back in his chair, watching her work. God, she was beautiful. Hyde had known her for years, had always known she was pretty, but after they started kissing pretty regularly? It was like Hyde had never seen her before. Everyday, he would find himself impressed with her beauty. And she was kind….well, somewhat. But Hyde liked that. He wasn't too kind himself, and he liked that he and Jackie could be a little mean to each other. And when it mattered most? She was one of the nicest people he knew. Most people wouldn't use the word "sweet" to describe Jackie Burkhart, but Hyde wasn't most people.

"Got it!" she said suddenly, snapping Hyde out of his thoughts. She tossed his shoes back to him, standing up and heading back to his room. "Now let's do something fun." She turned around to smile wickedly at him, and Hyde felt his mouth go dry. Adding to his previous thoughts on Jackie, he chuckled to himself. _And the sex is pretty damn good, too_.


	73. Take Mine

**Author's note: sorry I haven't updated in awhile! I just finished midterms at school, which was a little crazy, and I am now on spring break. Updates will be a little sporadic this week, but I'll be back on track after this week. Also, you may have noticed, but I'm starting to try and reference previous chapters in these upcoming ones. Just thought I would mention that in case anyone gets confused lol. Thank you for all of your comments and continued support of this story!**

" **Take mine"**

Jackie liked getting high with the whole gang, loved their inane conversations that never went anywhere. But there was something beautiful about smoking with Hyde, just the two of them. Most days, after they'd finished going at each other like rabbits, Hyde would light up a joint and the two of them would sit side by side on his bed. They would talk about their lives; the little things that never got mentioned when the six of them were all together. Jackie found that Hyde was more likely to tell her personal things when he was under the influence, and she reveled in the knowledge that she was the one person who knew him like this.

"You know what's funny?" Jackie blew out smoke, passing the joint back to Hyde.

"Huh?"

"I always thought I was so in love with Michael, but now that I'm looking back on it," she paused, sucking on the joint Hyde held up to her lips. "Well, his heart never belonged to me. I was just so desperate for someone to love me." she sighed, resting her head on Hyde's shoulder.

"Oh, I always knew that," Hyde responded, wrapping his arm around her.

"Shut up," Jackie teased, knowing that Hyde was probably gonna say something about how she had only ever had eyes for him or something.

"Did you want it?"

"Want what?"

"Kelso's heart."

Jackie tilted her head up to study Hyde's face, trying to see what he was getting at here. "Well, I thought I did at the time….but now I know that, if I had it, I wouldn't have wanted it so bad." She wrinkled her nose. "Did that make sense?"

"Take mine," Hyde said suddenly. Jackie blinked her eyes quickly, trying to make sense of what he had said.

"Steven, wha-"

"Take mine," he repeated. "You can have my heart."

Jackie's mouth dropped open. She had never heard Hyde say anything like this; she doubted _anybody_ had. But he was gazing at her with a strange sort of intensity, so strong that Jackie was sure he meant it. She was overcome with a blazing feeling in her chest; the passion she had for him burning as bright as a flame. No one had ever talked to her this way, no one had ever held her like this; there was no one like Steven and she knew in that moment that she would never want anyone else. Who could compare to this scruffy, terse burnout who was telling her to take his heart?

"Oh, Steven," she smiled, feeling tears spring to her eyes. She cupped his cheek, wanting him to feel everything she couldn't say in her touch. She blinked away the tears, a smirk suddenly finding its way to her face. "I don't have to take your heart," she winked at him. "You gave it to me ages ago."

Hyde chuckled, placing his hands on her waist. "You're always one step ahead, huh?"

"You know it, baby," she giggled, kissing him. As the kiss deepened, both of them already tugging at the few articles of the clothes they had put back on after the last round, Jackie found herself remembering a day long ago, when Hyde had dropped a small, golden heart into her hands. _Yep_ , she smiled up at him. _He gave me his heart ages ago_.


	74. Try Some

" **Try some"**

Hyde slid open the glass door leading to the Forman's kitchen. He wasn't surprised to see Mrs. Forman in front of the stove, but the sight of Jackie Burkhart in an apron, flour smeared across her cheek, was not one that you saw often.

"Oh, hello, Steven," Mrs. Forman gushed. "How was your day?"

"Fine," he answered, still trying to figure out what Jackie was doing there. She looked up from her mixing bowl and, noting the confused expression on his face, sighed and said "Stop looking at me like I'm crazy, Steven. I have a home ec project and Mrs. Forman is helping me with it."

Hyde raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything, walking over to the fridge to grab a soda. No beers in front of Mrs. Forman. Suddenly, the oven timer dinged.

"Oh," Mrs. Forman clasped her hands together. "Jackie, I think your meatloaf is ready!" Jackie made a squeaking noise, causing Hyde to clap his hands over his ears.

"It's a meatloaf, not a cure for cancer," he snapped, but Jackie and Mrs. Forman were engrossed in pulling the meatloaf out of the oven.

"Well, it just looks great!" Mrs. Forman enthused.

"But what about the taste?" Jackie was cutting into it, but she seemed worried.

"You have to taste it," Mrs. Forman responded.

"Oh no," Jackie shook her head. "What if it's bad? No, I'm not eating it." She looked dejectedly at the slice of meatloaf on the plate, then snapped her head up to look at Hyde.

"Steven….." she gave him the puppy dog eyes, sticking out her lower lip. "Try some?"

"I'm not eating anything you made," he scoffed.

"Steven, eat the meatloaf!" she snapped. Hyde opened his mouth to refuse again, but before he could speak, Jackie shoved a forkful in his mouth. To Hyde's surprise, it wasn't bad.

"Well?" Jackie was waiting with bated breath to hear what he had to say about it.

"It's…." Hyde hesitated, trying to make her sweat a little. "It's good."

"It's good!" she squealed, throwing her arms around Hyde and hugging him, then doing the same to Mrs. Forman. As they both continued to celebrate the damn meatloaf, Hyde was trying to remember exactly how Jackie's arms felt around him. He didn't want to forget it anytime soon.


	75. Watch Your Step

" **Watch your step"**

"Steeeevveeennn," Jackie whined. "You know, I really didn't wanna leave."

"Yeah," Steven puffed, struggling with trying to prop Jackie up against the car while he dug his keys out of his pocket. "But see, I kinda think that, when you start to loudly discuss how the other girls look at the party, well, then it's time to go."

Jackie was a little drunk, which Hyde found pretty cute, but she was difficult to handle when intoxicated. She wanted to be loud and run around and was always smacking kisses on Hyde's face and once, she had wanted to have sex right there, in the middle of a party. He was trying to get her home before she did any damage to herself or others.

"I wanna kiss you," she slurred, grabbing at his shirt as he unlocked the car and opened the passenger door. Hyde kissed her quickly, knowing that she wouldn't let it go until he did, and then gently pushed her into the car.

They drove along, Jackie alternately singing along with the radio and going off on tangents about how much time she spent on her hair and "what if there are really aliens out there? What if there are some living right here in Point Place, Steven?"

Hyde liked her like this. I mean, he liked her all the time, but drunk Jackie was fun. The girl who always had it together, who never let them see her sweat, was a real mess when she drank. She was sloppy and she was loud and she said things that she would never tell anyone while sober. Drunk Jackie had told Hyde that he was a great guy. Drunk Jackie had told him that she knew what it was like to have parents who abandoned you. Drunk Jackie had whispered to him that she had never felt this way about anyone before, and that she didn't know if she ever would again. Hyde liked drunk Jackie.

"Alright, sunshine, let's get you inside," he said as he pulled into her driveway.

"Sunshine?" Jackie giggled. "Oh my gosh, that is so cute! You should call me that all the time!"

"Yeah, yeah."

Hyde managed to get her into the house and, while he turned around to close the door behind them, Jackie started to wander off.

"Jackie, watch your step!" Hyde called as she meandered over to the living room, which was a step down from the foyer they were standing in. She didn't heed his advice and, as Hyde shot over to her, she stumbled and almost went head-over-heels into the living room. Luckily, Hyde had grabbed her arm, pulling her into his chest.

"You're giving me gray hairs, kid," Hyde grumbled, making sure she was somewhat steady on her feet.

"Aw, Steven, I was falling for you!" she laughed, slipping her hands around his waist. "Get it? 'Cause I was falling an-

"I get it," Hyde smiled. She really was something, wasn't she? "Let's get you into bed."

"Only if you're coming with me," she said as he started to drag her up the stairs.

"Oh, I think that can be arranged," he smirked. Jackie, suddenly steady on her feet, was running up the stairs. Hyde was right behind her. _Yep…..she really is something_.


	76. It Can Wait Until Tomorrow

**Author's note: Hey guys, I'm back! Sorry for the wait! I've got some great ideas for the remaining few chapters and I hope you like them! In this chapter, I'm flashing forward a bit, so I hope no one gets confused. Thanks again for all your support!**

" **It can wait until tomorrow"**

Sometimes Hyde couldn't believe how far he had come from his high school days. Sure, he was only 25, but when he remembered the way he acted even just 4 or 5 years ago? He used to be kind of wild. And now? He was sitting at the kitchen table at midnight, working on his article for the magazine he was currently employed at. Young Hyde would have never devoted this much time to a job, but then again, Young Hyde was also living rent-free in someone else's house. Hyde had an apartment, and now his money went to electricity bills instead of endless cases of beer. The magazine job had kind of been a godsend. His column was about music: reviews, interviews with rockstars, concert tips, etc. He had always had a knack for writing (English was his best subject in school), so this journalist gig wasn't half bad. Hell, it might even be half good.

"' _An Innocent Man_ isn't groundbreaking, but Billy Joel continues to craft pop songs that go straight to the top of the charts," Hyde read quietly to himself, trying to get a feel for the flow of his piece. "Leaning heavily on his love of Motown and groups like The Four Seasons, Joel's album is full of 60s throwbacks with fresh lyrics.'"

"Sounds good to me," a voice said from behind him. Hyde turned to see Jackie standing in the doorway, arms crossed over the Bruce Springsteen t-shirt he had bought her when he had reviewed a Springsteen concert a few months back.

"It does, huh?" he smiled, turning back to his papers. Jackie came up behind him, sliding her arms over his chest and resting her head on his shoulder.

"I still can't believe you're reviewing a Billy Joel album," she murmured. "Don't you hate him?"

"It doesn't matter how I feel, I still gotta review it for the column," Hyde crossed out a sentence absentmindedly. "And besides, he's growing on me."

" _Tell Her About It_ reminds me of you," Jackie said. Hyde could hear the teasing note in her voice. "' Tell her about it, let her know how much you care, when she can't be with you, tell her you wish you were there'" she sang softly. Hyde turned to see the smile on her face, grinning at the sparkle in her eyes. Jackie moved to sit next to him at the table, grabbing a page of his notes and starting to scan it.

"Oh, yeah?" Hyde set his pen down. "I always thought _Uptown Girl_ was more our speed. 'She's been living in her whitebread world, as long as anyone with hot blood can, and now she's looking for a downtown man, that's what I am'"

Jackie, propped up on the table with her elbows, laughed as Hyde sang. "I've always liked your voice. Kinda sounds like Bob Seger."

Hyde rolled his eyes good-naturedly, turning back to his article, but not for long. Jackie reached her hand out, grabbing his chin and turning his face back to her.

"Hey," she said softly. "Come to bed."

"Jackie, this is due-

"It can wait until tomorrow." she stood up, grasping his hand and pulling him up from the table. He smiled lazily, circling his arms around her waist and pulling her closer, kissing her softly. He let her lead him back to their bedroom.

"Am I really your uptown girl?" Jackie said softly to him later that night, after clothes and inhibitions had been stripped away.

"Jackie," Hyde pulled her closer to his chest. "Not only are you my uptown girl, you're just plain _my_ girl."

"Well, now that you think Billy Joel isn't that bad, can we go see him when he comes to Chicago next month?"

"Nope."

"Steven!"

"Good night, babe."


	77. You Can Have Half

" **You can have half"**

Jackie was so hungry she thought her stomach was just gonna twist up and die. Okay, so that was a tad overdramatic, but she was starving! She,Hyde, Fez, and Michael had gone to Funland for the day and the smells emanating from the food stands around the park were causing Jackie's stomach to rumble.

"Michael, I'm hungry," she whined.

"Yeah, okay," he brushed her off. "I'm gonna go find Woofy the Funland Dog." And before Jackie could protest, he had already taken off, Fez hot on his heels.

"I love Woofy!" Fez exclaimed gleefully, almost knocking over a woman with her toddler.

 _Idiots, the both of them_ , Jackie thought angrily. She crossed her arms tightly, feeling a bad mood coming on. And then, someone interrupted her glowering.

"Hey, where'd everybody go?" Hyde was standing next to her, holding…..a beautiful, golden brown soft pretzel. Jackie could _feel_ herself drooling. He took a bite, still waiting for her to answer.

"Oh, um, Fez and Michael ran off to find that disgusting guy in the dog costume," Jackie shuddered. Her gaze soon returned to the pretzel. "Steven?"

"Yeah?" he said warily, on guard because of her sweet tone.

"Can I have some of your pretzel?" she stuck out her lower lip and batted her eyelashes, hoping that maybe _this_ would be the day that he totally melted under her feminine wiles.

"No," he said shortly, taking another bite.

"Pleeeeaaase?" she wheedled, putting a hand on his arm. Hyde looked down at her hand quickly, then snapped his eyes up to her face. _Why does he look like I just gave him an electric shock?_

"You can have half," he grumbled, tearing the pretzel down the middle. Jackie beamed, clasping her hands together.

"Oh, thank you, Steven! You're the best!"

"Yeah, yeah."


	78. Well, What Do You Want To Do?

" **Well, what do you want to do?"**

Hyde was bored. Forman and Donna were out on a date, Kelso was God knows where, and Fez and Jackie were sitting in the basement with him. They were getting more enjoyment out of the _M*A*S*H_ rerun that was playing than he was, that was for sure.

"Hawkeye is so dreamy," Jackie sighed, staring intently at the screen.

"Really? I didn't think you liked the scruffy, sarcastic type," Fez dug in his pocket for a lollipop, fumbling with the wrapper.

Jackie shrugged. "I don't know, there's something I kinda like about a rebel, you know?"

"Oh, you're preaching to the choir, lady," Fez laughed. Hyde just stared incredulously at the both of them. _Why am I friends with these bimbos again?_

"Aren't you guys bored?" Hyde groaned. He couldn't believe that he was stuck with these two, watching crappy TV and listening to them talk about their "types."

"Not in the slightest," Fez licked his lollipop. "I find the storyline of this show very compelling….also the nurses are very pretty." He snickered to himself.

"Well, I'm about to go out of mind with crazy, mind-numbing boredom," Hyde groaned, slouching farther down in his seat.

"Well," Jackie said, mocking his fatalistic tone. "What do you want to do?

Hyde furrowed his brow, taking her question seriously. Jackie Burkhart was not one to invite the opinions of others, so this was a rare moment; he had to take it seriously. It took him a minute or two, but he finally settled on an activity.

"Play chess with me."

"Ugh, Steven, no."

"Come on, it'll be fun," he smirked. "Besides, you should be jumping at the chance to play. You always beat me!"

Jackie bit her lip, trying to keep the grin off her face. "Yeah, you're right….okay fine, get the board out."

Hyde would never tell, but the real reason he liked to play chess with Jackie? Well, for one, she was the only worthy opponent he had in the basement. Also….well, when she was concentrating really hard, she stuck her tongue out of the corner of her mouth. And it as kinda adorable. _But you didn't hear that from me, alright?_


	79. Wow

" **Wow"**

Jackie was nervous. She had never really been to this part of town before, and it made her a little scared. I mean, the house next door had a piece of cardboard taped up where a window pane had broken! Surely that was a sign of something scary happening, right? _I've seen too many movies_. But she was determined that nothing would stop her tonight. I mean, she'd already done the impossible; she had gotten Steven Hyde to ask her to prom! So walking through his unkempt yard and up onto the porch made of rotting wood? No problem. Jackie timidly rapped on the frame of the screen door, hoping Hyde could hear it over the loud music he was playing. _I think it's Zeppelin?_ She mused, before she heard footsteps coming to the door.

"They're all gonna laugh at you!" a woman's voice called out, harsh and full of spite. _Is that his mom?_ Jackie thought in horror.

"Shut up, Ma, you're making the night too damn special!" Hyde's familiar voice shouted back. And then he was opening the door and Jackie felt a sudden flash of fear. But she wasn't afraid of Hyde's neighborhood anymore. Now, she was afraid that maybe she had done something wrong. Maybe she was wrong to push him into asking her to prom. Maybe when he said he didn't want to go, he had other reasons besides just upholding his rebellious image. As all of these thoughts whirled through her head, she didn't notice Hyde staring at her, taking her in like he was seeing a work of art.

"Wow," he finally said. "You look beautiful." And even though Hyde was just a friend (barely a friend), she felt her heart start racing like maybe it was all something more. Because when was the last time Michael had called her beautiful? Hot, sure. Pretty, yeah. But never beautiful.

"Oh my God, so do you," Jackie heard herself saying. _What? Why would he look beautiful? I sound like an idiot!_ She tried to recover. "Um, do you want me to go inside and meet your…" she trailed off. _Why would he want me to meet his mom? We're not dating! Why am I being so weird, oh my God!_

"No, no, no" he said quickly. "Trust me; she's lovely." He put his hand on her arm, guiding her down the steps. "Let's just go, alright?" Jackie walked down the steps, but something caught her eye.

"Is that for me?" she said, pointing to the box Hyde had tucked under his arm.

"Oh, yeah," he mumbled, handing her the box. "Here, I got this for you." Jackie looked through the clear plastic on the box and was touched to see a pink and purple corsage.

"Oh, Steven, this is beautiful," she sighed. She felt like she needed to say something, something that would show him how much this whole night would mean to her. "You know, this whole experience has taught me that I don't need Michael to go to the prom. I can go with anyone….even you." _Well, that came out wrong_. "Thanks," she said softly and, almost instinctively, she got up on her tiptoes and pressed a kiss to his cheek. Well, his sideburn, really. When she stepped back, unsure of what Hyde's reaction would be, she was surprised to see him….blushing?

"Uh," he started, then cleared his throat. "Okay, let's not do that."

"Sorry," Jackie said quickly, trying to break the tension before it even set in. "Uh, I have my dad's Lincoln." she held up the keys. "Will you drive?"

"Yeah!" Hyde said enthusiastically taking the keys from her. But then he furrowed his brow. "He's got insurance, right?" He looked down at the keys. "Wait, I don't care. Let's go." And then his hand was back on her arm and it felt so nice and Jackie wasn't disappointed by this prom date, not at all. Because, even though Hyde had protested, he had done a lot for her tonight. The suit, the corsage, the way he was being gently polite to her, telling her she looked beautiful; it all meant a lot to Jackie. _Hyde_ meant a lot to Jackie.


	80. I'll Wait

" **I'll wait"**

Hyde loved Jackie, and he knew that she loved him just as much, if not more. Sometimes it drove him crazy that he couldn't find the words to tell her what he felt. Sometimes it drove him crazy that she had so many words pouring out of her, telling him everything, telling him nothing. So he would pick a fight, or he would disappear, trying to quiet the feeling in his chest that made him want to give everything he had to this girl. He knew it was stupid and reckless; he had been without her before and it hurt, it hurt so goddamn much. But it scared him. _She_ scared him. She loved him with everything she had and he was afraid he could never give her as much as she had given him. And so, they fought.

"If you're gonna be a baby about it, go ahead!" Jackie was shouting, pacing around the basement. "I don't understand why you won't just make _one_ commitment! I'm not asking you for the freakin' moon, Steven!"

 _If you asked for the moon, I would get it for you_ , is what Hyde wanted to say.

"Because I don't have to make a commitment! I don't wanna tie myself down!" is what he actually said.

"Oh, you don't wanna tie yourself down?" Jackie replied, false bravado in her voice. Her eyes betrayed her, showing the way Hyde's words had cut her. "Because I'm a burden, is that it? I'm bringing you down?"

"No, Jackie," Hyde was scrambling for words, trying to say something, anything, to make her stay. "I just….I'm trying to figure my life out. I'm trying to grow up, I am. I just need time, and I feel like you're pushing me to make a choice before I even know what my options are." he looked down at her helplessly, sure that he had bungled the whole thing.

"You want time….to think through your options" Jackie said quietly, not meeting his eyes. "To decide if you want to commit to….whatever it is that we have."

Hyde sighed heavily, knowing that he hadn't phrased it right. "Jackie, I just-

"I'll wait, Steven." Jackie was looking up at him now, her eyes flashing. "I'll wait for you to 'figure things out,' but," her mouth set in a hard line. "I won't wait forever."

Hyde should've been ecstatic. She was giving him yet another chance, giving him the time he had asked for. But there was a pit in his stomach. Jackie deserved someone who knew what he wanted, knew what he was about. _I'm gonna be that for her_ , Hyde thought grimly. _I can't mess this up. It'll destroy us both_. So he reached for her hand. She took it. He pulled her close, wrapping his arms around her and pressing a kiss to her forehead.

"I love you," he said quietly. "You know that, right?"

Jackie looked up at him, an unreadable expression in her eyes. _Maybe I don't know what she's thinking because I don't wanna know_.

"I know," she said. "I love you, too."

 _As long as she keeps saying that,_ _I can do anything_ , Hyde thought. _I can't let her go_. _I won't._


	81. After You

" **After you"**

Jackie loved summer. No school, no responsibilities; just long days full of sunshine and friends. Usually, she would round up people to go to the pool with her, but today was different. Today was one of the rare days that the whole gang decided to go to the lake and swim. Jackie _loved_ the lake. Okay, yeah it was kinda nasty with all that pond scum and frogs, but there was also the rope swing. Jackie could spend all day on that thing. At the top of the bank, there was a tree with a rope, knotted at the end. Kids would take a running leap, or just hop off the edge of the bank, and swing into the pond. Jackie liked the moment when she let go of the rope, but hadn't hit the water yet. She felt like she was flying. So, needless to say, Jackie was excited for today.

"Do you think that mean old man is gonna be here this time?" Fez asked anxiously, pulling a towel and paper bag full of candy out of the back of Michael's van.

"Fez, that was my dad," Eric deadpanned.

"Oh, right!" Fez smiled, but his face fell. "Well, he's not here, is he?"

"No, he's not," Donna laughed, grabbing Eric's hand and leading him to the edge of the lake. Jackie pulled her tote bag up on her arm, trying to stop herself from running to the shore and throwing her stuff down so she could swing as soon as possible. Michael, already shirtless, draped his arm around her shoulders.

"I love when you wear a swimsuit," he smiled goofily. Jackie rolled her eyes.

"Shut up, Michael. Carry my bag down there?" she batted her eyelashes.

"Sure thing," Michael walked down the hill, while Jackie skipped up it. She shimmied out of her shorts but, as she pulled her shirt up over her head, Hyde's voice startled her.

"What are you doing up here, Burkhart?" he smirked. Jackie tossed her shirt at him, rolling her eyes.

"I happen to like the rope swing." She walked to the edge of the bank and started to reach for the rope dangling over the water, but Hyde beat her to it. Snatching the rope, he grinned at her, that old familiar teasing light in his eyes. Jackie opened her mouth, ready to start an argument that would knock Hyde's freaking socks off, but she was shocked when he held out the rope swing to her.

"After you," he said mockingly. Jackie just smiled. _I guess he's finally treating me with the respect I deserve_. She took the rope from his hand, grabbing on tightly. But before she could back up and swing out, she felt someone shove her hard. And then she was flying over the water, screaming her head off, letting go of the rope and plunging into the cold lake water. Coming up for air, she looked back to the hill. Hyde was standing up there, smiling proudly.

"Steven!" she shrieked.

"It's more fun that way, right?" he yelled back.

Jackie hesitated briefly, but she knew he was right. She watched as he stepped back and then leaped out over the water, dropping into the water with a huge splash. The rest of the gang all clapped and whistled. Hyde surfaced near Jackie, running a hand through his hair to get it off his face. He smiled crookedly at her.

"Ready for another round?" he said cockily.

"You bet," Jackie stuck out her tongue. "Race you to shore?"

"Oh, you're so on."


	82. You're Important, Too

" **You're important, too"**

In everyone's lives, there are days when it seems as if everything is toppling down on you. The world is against you, no one understands, and so you pull back, trying to protect yourself from whatever is thrown at you. For Steven Hyde, most days were like this. "Life is a shit show," is a favorite phrase of his. So, on one cloudy March day, he wasn't surprised to feel that hard knot of disappointment in his stomach. He was sitting on the tailgate of the El Camino, holding a beer in one hand, the other gripping the bed of the car underneath him. _I've said it before and I'll say it again_ , he thought grimly. _Life's a shit show_.

"Hey, Steven!" a piercing voice rang out and Hyde could barely stop himself from groaning. _This is so not what I need right now_. Jackie was sauntering up the driveway, smiling at him.

"What's up with you?" he grumbled

"Just hanging out until Donna gets here," she said simply, hopping up on the tailgate with him and swinging her legs back and forth. Hyde had expected a fight from her; he _had_ been kinda rude, after all. But he didn't say anything, the two of them sitting in silence….until, as always, Jackie piped up.

"So," she started hesitantly. "I heard that you've been a little…." she trailed off, trying to find the right word. "Um, a little short with people today."

"Oh yeah?" Hyde was already getting mad, wanting to do something with all of these angry feelings he had picked up today. "So people are tattling on me, huh? Just 'cause you're my girlfriend doesn't make you my keeper."

"I know," she said, a spark of anger in her own voice. Hyde wasn't great at a lot of things, but he was a grade-A, champion fighter. "But you made Fez cry, and Michael and Eric told me I had to do something about it, so here I am!"

"Aw, geez," Hyde groaned, getting up from the car and pacing around the driveway. "Fez is so damn sensitive, I ju-"

"Okay, that's not important," Jackie brushed it aside. "What _I_ wanna know is why you're acting like such a freak today." She crossed her arms across her chest, looking at him expectantly. After a few minutes, Hyde finally spoke.

"I don't know how you get me to say this shit," he muttered. "I guess it's just….well, you ever get those days when it seems like you're nothing? Everyone's either against you, or they just don't have time for you at all, and it feels like everything you have is slipping outta your hands…." Hyde trailed off, shoving his hands in his pockets, not wanting to meet Jackie's eyes.

"Of course I do," she said exasperatedly. "God, Steven, _everyone_ feels like that sometimes." She gestured for him to come sit down next to her on the El Camino. When he did, she put a hand on his knee. "Things are never perfect, Steven….well, except for me." she winked, gaining a weak chuckle from Hyde. "But we keep going, because that's what life is about."

Hyde was shocked to hear these vaguely profound thoughts coming from Jackie Burkhart.

"You've been reading my philosophy books, haven't you?" he smirked. She playfully smacked his arm.

"Come on, this is serious, I'm trying to turn you back into a normal person!"

Hyde tapped his fingers on his knee, trying to formulate what he wanted to say to her. "Jackie, I guess it's just that….well, sometimes, in the grand scheme of things, I feel kinda small."

"Stop smoking all that pot, you'll never think about 'the grand scheme of things' again," Jackie smiled. Hyde laughed again, but pressed on.

"People leave me, and I've gotten used to that." Jackie opened her mouth to respond, but Hyde kept going. "It's fine and that's life and I keep going, but I feel like I'm not an important piece in people's lives."

Jackie didn't say anything, just traced small circles on Hyde's knee. But, soon enough, she spoke.

"Steven, don't we spend an inordinate amount of time fighting over how meaningful our relationship is to each other?"

"Uh…." Hyde wasn't expecting that response. "Yes?"

"But no matter how much we fight, or what goes on in our lives…." Jackie stopped, taking a deep breath. "Whether we're together or not….I'm still important to you, right?"

Hyde, who had gone a little pale at the thought of them not being together, nodded quickly. "Of course you are, Jackie. No matter what happens."

"So," Jackie smiled softly. "You're important, too. If you ever think that you're not a big part of anyone's life….of _my_ life….well, just remember that I'm important to you, so you're important to me. The gang is important to you, right?"

"Duh," Hyde snorted.

"So, you're important to them," Jackie said matter-of-factly. "Honestly, Steven, this is such an obvious life lesson for me to be teaching you. I guess you never learned it because you're an orphan boy," she shrugged.

Hyde was silent, turning this information over in his head. He thought about the people that were important in his life, how he treated them and how they treated him. He thought about the way his friends and the Formans and Leo made him feel. He thought about the way Jackie made him feel. And he knew that she was right.

"Man," he put his arm around her waist, pulling her closer to him. "How'd I ever get lucky enough to get you as my chick?" She smiled, snuggling closer to his side.

"I don't know, but you better believe I'm the best thing that ever happened to you."

"Besides Zeppelin's fourth album."

"Shut up, Steven. Now, let's go to the Hub."

"Why?"

"You gotta apologize to Fez, dummy! Didn't you learn anything from my lesson?"

"He's important to me, I'm important to him, I got it, Jackie."

Hyde smiled as she dragged him down the street. _Life may be a shit show_ , he thought. _But not when Jackie's around_.


	83. I Don't Mind

" **I don't mind"**

Sometimes, Jackie felt like all she did was ask for favors from people. It felt like, even though she had money and looks, she still needed things from others; rides home, someone to check her homework, someone to talk to. Today, though, she was dreading the request that she was planning on making. She was sitting in the basement with Donna, Fez, and Hyde. They were listening to an Eagles album and playing CandyLand and, as fun as it all was, Jackie knew that the night was gonna end some time and they would have to go home.

Sure enough, Fez and Donna took off around 7, and then it was just Jackie and Hyde. He wasn't the easiest person to ask this of, but he _was_ her first choice. So, she took a deep breath and said, "Hey, Steven?"

"Yeah?" came his disinterested reply.

"Um, can I ask you to do me a favor?"

"You can ask, but that doesn't mean I'll do it."

"Well," she started, trying to phrase this in the best possible way. "My parents are out of town and they're not getting back 'til late and I know it's dumb but….well, sometimes I get kinda scared when I'm all alone and I was jus-

"Whoa, Jackie, slow down," Hyde held up a hand and leaned forward, elbows on his knees. Jackie took a deep breath.

"Could you maybe walk me home and stay with me for an hour or two?" she said as quickly as she could, half-hoping he wouldn't hear her. But she knew he did when he sat back, a sardonic smile on his face.

"You need a babysitter, is that what you're telling me?" he said mockingly, and Jackie felt heat rising to her face. _Why did he have to be such an ass all the time?_

"If you're gonna be a dick about it, then just forget it," she huffed, getting up from the couch and heading towards the door. She was shocked when she felt Hyde grab her arm, spinning her back to face him.

"Hey, don't leave!" he said quickly, letting go of her arm. "You want me to walk you home and hang out for a little bit? That's it?"

"Yeah," Jackie looked at the ground, scuffing the toe of her shoe across the cement floor.

"Burkhart, look at me," he said softly. She did. She was close enough to see his eyes behind his ever-present sunglasses. Hyde's eyes were kind. They were warm. She would never tell anyone, but she had always loved blue eyes. Michael had brown eyes. They were silly and happy and full of fun and she loved them. But blue eyes…..Steven's eyes were warm and comforting and they felt like home. Silly, huh?

"You want me to keep you company?" he shrugged. "I don't mind."

"Oh, Steven, thank yo-

"Hey," he interrupted, already shrugging into his jacket. "None of that. Just doing you a favor." Jackie smiled happily, practically skipping up the stairs. Hyde was her friend. He was doing her a favor. That was the end of it.

But was it still _just_ a favor when, once they got to her house, Hyde made them both scrambled eggs? Was it still _just_ a favor when, after two hours and her parents still weren't home, he cleared his throat and said "Well, _Annie Hall_ isn't over yet and I wanna see the end. You mind if I stay a little longer?"? And was it still _just_ a favor when, after Jackie fell asleep on the couch, Hyde rolled his eyes and grumbled a bit before gently lifting her off the couch and taking her upstairs?

Was it still just a favor when Hyde laid her down carefully on the bed, pulling the covers up over her, and whispered "Good night, kid"?

Once she woke up the next morning, Jackie liked to think that maybe it was something more. Hyde would never tell her, but he did, too.


	84. You Can Borrow Mine

" **You can borrow mine"**

Hyde wanted to keep things as casual as possible with Jackie. I mean, they were just a summer fling, you know? No need to get any deeper, no need to go any farther. And she felt just the same way! Everything was secret and that was how they liked it. At least, that was what Hyde had thought at first. As time went on and he spent more time with Jackie, he started to think about maybe shaking things up a bit. One day, as they put their clothes back on after another steamy afternoon together, Hyde was thinking about all this; the secrecy, the sneaking around.

"Hey, Jackie?"

"Yeah?" she said over her shoulder, trying to dig her shoe out from under his bed.

"You ever think maybe we shouldn't keep this in the dark? I mean, it feels kinda wrong to keep this from everybody." he stared pointedly down at the ground, not wanting her to see anything more in his eyes.

"Steven, this only works because it's a secret," Jackie had stopped looking for her shoe and was sitting on the floor, looking up at him. "I would nag, you would get distant; it wouldn't be fun for either of us."

"Yeah, you're right," he said quickly, trying to keep the traces of disappointment out of his voice. It was crazy, but there was a part of him that wanted everyone to know that they belonged to each other, even if it was just for one summer. Jackie went back to looking for her shoe, finally grabbing it and strapping it to her foot. Hyde started looking for his own items that had been strewn around the room in the wild frenzy that had started about as soon as Jackie had walked in the basement. He got his shirt, his shoes and socks, but there was a very important item missing.

"Where the hell are my sunglasses?" he said, turning his blanket over, hoping they would fall out onto the floor. Jackie started looking under the bed and the dresser; she knew how important the shades were to him. After a few minutes, she glanced at her watch and shot to her feet.

"I wanna stay and help you look, I do, but my dad is having this party for all the city councilmen and I have to be there-

"I understand," Hyde waved a hand in the air. "Where could they have gone?" he muttered, scanning the room. Jackie started rummaging in her purse, fishing a pair of her own sunglasses out.

"Here," she giggled. "You can borrow mine."

"Hilarious," he snorted.

"Okay, I really gotta go," she pressed the sunglasses into his hand and tried to kiss him quickly, but Hyde had other ideas. He deepened the kiss, tangling his hands in her hair, running his hands down her back, until she finally broke away. "I'm going." she said firmly, the smile on her face not matching her tone. She left, and Hyde sat down on his bed, still holding the sunglasses she had loaned him. They were small and had little flowers engraved on the arms, but otherwise, they looked pretty similar to his own. _I wonder when she got these_. He chuckled, remembering the proud look on her face as she had delivered that joke: "you can borrow mine." What a wonderfully simple thing to say. And after a little time, you didn't have to be responsible for whatever you were borrowing anymore. You had something for a brief period of time, then you gave it back. Sometimes Hyde felt like he was borrowing Jackie's time, only having it for a little while before having to give it back. Sometime he felt like she was borrowing him; keeping him for a bit but, once she was done, she would turn him back in where she got him. Everything with them was temporary, and it made Hyde frustrated.

"Hey, Jackie," he was talking to himself now. "Want some love? You can borrow mine. Hell, you can have it." he looked down at the ground, somewhat disgusted at himself. He didn't think he would ever say anything that damn mushy about _anyone_ , much less Jackie Burkhart. Life was funny that way, huh?

Something glittered, catching his eye. There were his sunglasses, underneath the chair. _How did I miss that?_ And then he knew. Jackie had been standing in front of the chair and, with Jackie nearby, how could he look at anything else. _I gotta get a grip_ , he groaned to himself. _She wants this to be just between us and here I am, talking like she's my soulmate or something. Who am I, Forman?_

He bent down, grabbing his shades and sliding them up the bridge of his nose. _She's just a girl. I'm just borrowing her for the summer. She's just borrowing me. This'll all be over soon and we can go back to where we started. Nothing permanent here….ain't that a shame._


	85. I Made This For You

" **I made this for you"**

Jackie's room was pink and girly and full of stuffed animals and clothes. It kinda gave Hyde the creeps. The only thing about her room that seemed normal was the stacks of books and school papers heaped in piles: on her desk, on the floor, propping the door open. Because, for all of her money and her love of buying things, Jackie Burkhart didn't have a bookshelf.

Hyde never intended to do anything about it. So she didn't have a bookshelf for her Nancy Drew collection; so what? But he found himself sitting in woodshop class, staring at the pile or boards in front of him.

"I'm gonna make a birdhouse," Forman sounded inspired. "That'll show Red, huh?" He started grabbing up supplies, excited to make something that would probably make Red threaten to shove a foot up an ass. Hyde was still thinking. _A bookshelf wouldn't be hard to make. Maybe three shelves, the whole thing would be about 2 or 3 feet tall…._

He wasn't sure what he was gonna do with a bookshelf; there wasn't really any room for it in his basement bedroom. He just felt like a shelf was the right thing to make. So he got to work, sanding and cutting, making sure it was all perfectly even and smooth.

It took him a few class periods, but after four days, he was done with the shelf. _Now I gotta paint this thing._ He chose white. As he painted, he continued to wonder what the hell he was gonna do with this damn bookshelf. He looked at it, half of it glistening with white paint, when it hit him. _Jackie needs a bookshelf. And isn't all her furniture white?_ He shook his head, laughing at himself for making the damn thing, but also picturing her reaction. She would love it, right?

The next week, he put it in the back of the El Camino and drove over to Jackie's. She answered the door, surprised to see him. "Steven, what are you doing here?"

"I got a surprise for you," he said, knowing that those were words Jackie could not resist. She squealed, clapping her hands together.

"Is it jewelry? It's jewelry, isn't it?"

"Just come on," he rolled his eyes good-naturedly. She followed him out to the car, practically skipping with excitement.

"Close your eyes, okay?" he grinned. She complied, and Hyde undid the tailgate. "Open 'em"

Jackie popped her eyes open, taking in the little white shelf. "Steven, I…." she stopped and Hyde was afraid that maybe this wasn't the amazing gift he had thought it would be.

"I, uh, I made this for you," he explained hurriedly. "In woodshop. So that's why the paint is kinda splotchy and that one corner is uneven. It sucks, but I ju-

He was cut off by Jackie throwing her arms around him and kissing him enthusiastically.

"Steven," she smiled when they broke apart. "I love it. It's perfect! And I needed a shelf."

"Yeah, I noticed." the corners of his mouth turned up into a smile. He could look into those eyes all day. She kissed him softly, then disentangled herself from his arms.

"Let's go put this in my room! I can't wait to put my Judy Blume collection on it!"

"You gotta start reading some better stuff, babe."

"Judy Blume is a genius. Now come on, let's go!"


	86. Cross My Heart And Hope To Die

" **Cross my heart and hope to die"**

Keeping secrets had always been one of Hyde's talents. He was quiet and standoffish to begin with, so it wasn't hard to keep things under wraps. Jackie, on the other hand, was a huge blabber mouth. Hyde didn't think she'd kept a secret in her entire life. But sometimes, she surprised him.

The first secret he ever told her was when he accidentally spilled that he was trying to buy a good Christmas present for Donna. He begged her not to say anything, even though he knew she was gonna go make fun of him to Donna and completely ruin his chances with her. But she solemnly replied "I won't tell anyone. Cross my heart and hope to die."

And she didn't. Hyde wasn't expecting that.

Another secret? She walked in on him listening "When I Needed You" by Leo Sayer. He might have been dramatically singing along. It's a nice song, okay?

 _"Jackie, if you say anything about this-_

 _She held up a hand. "I won't say anything, I swear." but she was still laughing and Hyde was scowling suspiciously at her, so she sobered up and said, "Cross my heart and hope to die."_

She didn't say anything. But when that song came on, she would sneak a glance at him and snicker. Hyde didn't expect anything less.

For a while, the biggest secret they shared was their relationship.

 _"I wanna keep doing this….with you," Hyde let out a deep breath. This wasn't easy. How could he be attracted to bratty, beauty queen Barbie?_

 _"Me,too" Jackie said shyly. Hyde hadn't really seen this side of her; not as bold and brash, but quieter and softer._

 _"But you can't say anything about this, okay? Don't go blabbering arou-_

 _"I know, geez!" she snapped. "Cross my heart and hope to die, okay?"_

She never said anything to anyone. Hyde didn't, either. Sometimes he wished one of them would slip up and accidentally reveal what was going on between them. But when Jackie crosses her heart, she really means it.

A few years had gone by, and the gang were no longer the ragtag group of kids they had been. There wasn't really any more need for secrets, either. They were adults, they didn't need to make pacts like dumb kids.

Jackie still did it, though.

Hyde was running late for work, rushing around the apartment, trying to find the article draft he had written up last night.

"Jackie, I can't find my article anywhere!" he yelled, shifting a pile of fashion magazines aside.

"Look on the kitchen counter!" she called, doing her makeup in the bathroom. Hyde spun around and saw his article sitting there. _How'd I miss that?_

"Okay, I'm heading out," he said as he walked into the bathroom, Jackie still swiping on one last coat of lipstick.

"I'm right behind you," Jackie sighed. "Things have been crazy around the studio lately."

"I'll see you tonight," Hyde promised, leaning down to to kiss her. "I love you."

"Love you, too."

"Are you sure?" Hyde smirked. He did this a lot, and Jackie knew the exact response he wanted. She rolled her eyes and laughed.

"Cross my heart and hope to die"

"That's my girl," he pecked her on the cheek and headed out the door. Time had told him that when Jackie crossed her heart, it meant forever. And if there was one thing Hyde knew would last forever, it was him and Jackie. _Cross my heart and hope to die_.


	87. Sorry I'm Late

" **Sorry I'm late"**

Jackie couldn't stop looking at her watch. It was getting closer and closer to 7 o'clock every second and Hyde was nowhere to be found. _I mean, it's not super-important….maybe he got caught up at the Foto Hut. There's a lot more important things than a stupid movie of the week_.

Jackie and Hyde had a tradition. Every Saturday, they watched the movie of the week. They had seen comedies and sci-fi movies, good movies and terrible ones. It didn't matter; what mattered was that, in both of their somewhat turbulent lives, they had a set tradition. Sometimes the rest of the gang joined them. Sometimes they didn't. It didn't matter; just as long as Hyde and Jackie were both there.

The opening credits of the movie started rolling across the screen and Jackie felt her stomach drop. _So he's not, so what? It was just a dumb movie! He obviously doesn't care, so why should I?_ Jackie tucked her legs underneath her, trying to distract herself with the movie. About 10 minutes into, it, the basement door swung open. Hyde stepped in.

"Sorry I'm late," he tried to catch his breath. "Work got a little hectic and I completely lost track of time. I suck, I know."

He had already gone across the room to grab two popsicles and plopped down on the couch next to her. "So, what are we watching? What did I miss?"

" _All the President's Men_ ," Jackie said as he chucked one of the popsicles towards her. "You haven't missed much, but then again, I don't really understand what's going on."

Hyde snorted, sucking on the Freezy-Pop.

Jackie was surprised by what Hyde had said when he walked into the basement. _Sorry I'm late_. Had Michael _ever_ said that to her? Michael was late to everything: dinner, movies, her pep rallies. He never apologized for it. Hyde apologized for missing ten minutes of a TV movie. But Jackie had promised to herself that she would stop comparing them, so she shook her head and turned her attention back to the movie.

"Robert Redford is so handsome," she sighed.

"Hey, no mooning over the actors, okay? Didn't we decided that after we watched _The Sting_?"

"Okay, okay"

 _Yep….this is just how it's supposed to be_.


	88. I Hope You Like It

" **I hope you like it"**

Hyde didn't really like getting presents. He didn't like being in people's debt. He didn't like knowing that whoever had given him the gift had put time, thought, and effort into it. And he didn't like doing the fake smile and "Wow, this is great!" routine that receiving gifts usually called for. That's why, when Jackie waltzed into the basement with something hidden behind her back, he could feel his blood pressure rising.

"Hey, Steven," she giggled, looking entirely too pleased with herself.

"What do you want, Jackie?" he was resigned to his fate, knowing that she was about to give him something that he definitely didn't need or want.

"Well," she said, sitting down on the couch, still hiding her hands behind her back. "You've been so nice to me these last few weeks: taking me to prom, standing up to Michael for me. So, I wanted to give you something to show my gratitude."

"Aw, come on," Hyde groaned. "Don't do that, I don't want anything from you."

Jackie narrowed her eyes. "You're gonna take it and you're gonna like it."

Hyde gulped and held his hand out. _Man, she can be really scary. No wonder Kelso's so whipped_. Instead of the fancily wrapped package Hyde was expecting, Jackie gave him a folded sheet of paper. Hyde raised an eyebrow at her, but she just gestured for him to unfold it.

"'Shut Jackie up for an hour: can be used 3 times'" Hyde read off the makeshift coupon. He frowned, then looked at Jackie. "Burkhart, what the hell is this?"

"Okay, so I know I can be a little loud and….abrasive," Jackie chose her words carefully. "And you've been so nice and I thought….well, what better gift could I give you than me being quiet for a little while?" she beamed. "I hope you like it."

Hyde wasn't sure what to say. On the one hand, a coupon like this could really come in handy. And Jackie had clearly put a lot of thought into this. The kid had really tried to do something nice for him, and that thought made Hyde's stomach feel all twisty. On the other….well, it was kind of terrible. Jackie could be a pain in the ass, but that was just who she was. He would feel like a real asshole, giving her a piece of paper and telling her to shut up.

"Jackie," he said carefully, trying to speak his mind without hurting her feelings. "This was really great of you. Really. But….I don't know, I would just feel kinda shitty using it, you know? You might be annoying, but it's not my place to tell you to shut up. You dig?"

Jackie bit her lip, and Hyde suddenly got the terrible feeling that those might just be tears shining in her big, green-brown eyes.

"Aw, Jackie, I didn't mean to-

He was interrupted by Jackie throwing her arms around him.

"That's the nicest thing you've ever said to me!" he voice was muffled; she had her face buried in his shoulder.

"Yeah, well…." Hyde trailed off, awkwardly patting her on the shoulder. She finally sat up and, thankfully, she wasn't crying.

"Everyone thinks you're so mean and tough but you're really a sweet guy, Steven," Jackie said, smiling her sugary-sweet grin at him. Hyde felt nauseous.

"Don't go around saying stuff like that, okay?" he growled, trying to salvage some shreds of his dignity. Jackie smirked at him, then stood up.

"I gotta go; I'm meeting Michael at the Hub. See you later?"

"Yeah, yeah," Hyde waved her off. She walked to the door and opened the door, but then paused.

"Hey, Steven?"

"What?"

She smirked. "You're probably gonna wanna hang on to those coupons. I have a feeling I'm gonna tell everyone about how nice you were today." she laughed, dashing up the stairs. Hyde was right behind her, waving the paper in the air.

"Jackie, get back here! Take the freakin' coupon and shut your mouth already!"

But Hyde was laughing, too. _Jackie's really mastered the art of the burn, huh?_


	89. You Didn't Have To Ask

" **You didn't have to ask"**

Jackie didn't like to be rescued. Oh, sure, she would play the damsel in distress part for all she was worth. But when it came down to it, she hated the idea of someone fixing everything for her when she was perfectly capable of doing it herself. It made her feel helpless and Jackie Burkhart was _not_ helpless.

One day, as she walked outside her apartment building, she was met with a sight that made her blood practically boil. _What the hell is he doing here? I don't need his help for anything!_

"What are you doing here, _Hyde_?" she spat out his name, hoping he would be wounded by the use of his last name. He had once told her that she and Mrs. Forman were the only people who were allowed to call him Steven.

Hyde was standing over her car, the hood open, his hands covered in grease. He was doing some sort of mechanical work, that much was clear to Jackie. She didn't know much about cars and had been talking to Mrs. Forman in the kitchen about it last week. Hyde had walked through, but she didn't think he had been listening.

"Your car is no longer making 'a weird growly noise,'' he smirked, quoting her complaint from last week. "I'm just gonna finish up here and-

"How did you even-why are you-Hyde, what are you doing?" Jackie spluttered, trying to make her displeasure clear. _What, did he think I couldn't do it myself? Even if I can't, there are mechanics! I don't need his help!_

"You needed your car fixed. I did it. The end." he said shortly, turning back to the engine.

"I didn't ask you to do this!"

"You didn't have to ask!" he turned around quickly to face her. "You didn't have to ask, Jackie! I just wanted to help!"

"Yeah?" she said, biting her lip. "Well, don't. You're not my boyfriend anymore. Go fix your stripper wife's car." She had made comments like that a million times since Hyde had come back with Samantha, but they still hurt her. How could she ever be expected to get over the person she loved most in the world dumping her for a stripper he had known for three weeks? Hyde clenched his fists, obviously trying to stop himself from yelling at her. Jackie turned away, starting to walk back inside, her errands for the day forgotten.

"Jackie, you can't stay mad at me forever," he called. Jackie felt like she was going to explode. She whirled around.

"I can't stay mad at you forever? What kind of bullshit is that? I can stay mad at you for as long as I want because you fucking broke my heart! You don't get to decide anything about my life anymore!" she felt tears in her eyes threatening to spill over, but she furiously blinked them away. Hyde was silent, staring at her.

"I don't want things to be like this," he finally spoke, kicking at the ground.

"Yeah? Well, it's your own damn fault," Jackie said bitterly, and then she was gone. She didn't see Hyde carefully close the hood of her car. She didn't see him angrily punch the wall, and then curse loudly because it "hurt like a son of a bitch!"

And she didn't hear him sigh and mutter to himself, "I really fucked up this time, huh? Can't fix this one, Hyde….can't fix this one."


	90. I Was Just Thinking About You

" **I was just thinking about you"**

The school cafeteria was always loud; teenage chatter, trays being pushed to the floor, someone blasting music from a handheld radio. Hyde didn't particularly like it. He would prefer to spend his lunch break out back behind the gym, smoking with the rest of the delinquents. But his friends all ate lunch, and so he ate with them. As he maneuvered his way through the maze of tables, he caught sight of their table. Forman had his arm around Donna, that same old dumb, lovestruck grin on his face. Fez was constructing a tower out of empty milk cartons. Kelso was nowhere to be found. And Jackie was absentmindedly doodling in a notebook as she ate an apple.

"Hey," Hyde startled Jackie as he set his tray down with a clatter.

"Hey," she smiled. "I was just thinking about you!"

"Yeah, why?" came his defensive reply.

"They're doing a special screening of _Jaws_ at the drive-in this weekend. You said you liked it, right?" she blinked up at him with those crazy, mismatched eyes of hers.

"It's a masterpiece," he scoffed, shoveling mashed potatoes in his mouth.

"You wanna go with me?" Her request almost made Hyde choke.

"Uh," he spoke around his mouthful of food. "What about Kelso?"

Jackie waved a hand dismissively. "Michael doesn't like the shark. He says it makes him scared of the ocean. So, you're coming, right?"

Hyde shrugged, trying to play this perfectly. "That's cool."

"Don't use your zen mind-tricks on me, Steven," Jackie narrowed her eyes. "Yes or no?"

"Yeah," he grinned. _She really picked up a lot about zen, man_. "Wouldn't miss it, kid."

"Stop calling me that! I'm like, a year younger than you!"

"Still a kid, kid. I don't make the rules."

"I'm already regretting asking you to the movies."


	91. I'll Drive You To The Hospital

" **I'll drive you to the hospital"**

"I'm just saying, it's entirely possible that dogs can talk and they just don't want us humans to know about it!" Kelso took another drag on the joint and passed it off to Hyde. Jackie was staring at him with horror.

"I can't believe I'm gonna have your children some day," she said, burying her head in her hands. "Oh my God, what are you gonna do when I go into labor?"

"Ew, Jackie!" Kelso screeched. "Don't even talk about it!"

"Hey," Hyde was laughing so hard his glasses were threatening to slide off the bridge of his nose. "If you two morons ever manage to conceive a kid, _I'll_ drive you to the hospital! I gotta see how dumb your kid is gonna be!" He didn't stop snickering until Jackie whacked him on the shoulder. I mean, Jackie and Kelso having a baby? Sure, it would be a cute kid, but it's brain would be the size of a pea! Hyde wanted to be there when the kid won the Guinness World Record for smallest brain.

Years passed and that conversation in the basement was long forgotten by today. Hyde had just opened the door to the apartment when he heard a scream.

"Jackie?!" he yelled, hurrying towards the kitchen. He halted in his tracks at the sight of a hugely pregnant Jackie standing by the fridge….a small puddle underneath her.

"My water broke!" she screamed. _Well, duh_. Hyde's mind was going blank. I mean, they had made a plan, he knew what he was supposed to be doing, but….he couldn't think of anything at all except " _Oh my God, we're gonna have a kid, Jackie's gonna push a kid outta her-"_

"Steven!" her shrill voice interrupted his thoughts. "We have to go!"

"Right," he said, slowly coming out of the daze he was in. "Uh, okay, I'll….drive you to the hospital! That's what I'm doing."

"I would _hope_ that you would drive your pregnant wife to the hospital! Geez!" she yelled, marching out of the kitchen, yanking him after her. Hyde managed to pull himself together, grabbing the bag that Jackie had packed weeks ago that had sat by the door until now. As he drove her to the hospital, he kept glancing over at her.

"What?" she finally snapped. If you thought Jackie was hard to deal with, try handling a pregnant Jackie. It was like living in a warzone. Hyde just shook his head.

"Just thinking about….the kid. Our kid." he grinned. "Kinda unbelievable that we ended up here, don't ya think?"

"Steven, that's a really beautiful thought but," she winced and brought a hand to her stomach. "We'll have time to wax poetic _after_ I push a human out of my lady parts. Now step on it!"

"Yes, ma'am."


	92. We'll Figure It Out

" **We'll figure it out"**

Hyde liked summer. Who didn't? No school, no worries, just good times. He had been afraid this summer might be different; with Kelso and Donna gone, the vibes in the basement were all wrong. Forman was moping, Jackie was a ball of rage, and Fez was his usual idiotic self. That all changed once Jackie stopped punching everything that reminded her of Kelso and started making out with him whenever they had a moment alone. Sweet, huh?

Hooking up with Jackie was a good distraction from a lot of things: he didn't have a job, he was gonna be a senior next year, and he had no idea what was gonna come next. The only thing he couldn't get off his mind? Forman. He was worried about the kid. Eric didn't eat, he slept all day, and he hadn't sat in the circle for weeks. There was something seriously wrong with the guy and, much as he denied it, Hyde had a soft spot for Forman.

He was thinking about this, of all things, while he and Jackie were fooling around on the couch one day. He thought everything was going great, until Jackie abruptly drew back.

"Okay, what's up with you?" she demanded, brushing a stray piece of hair out of her face.

"What do you mean?" Hyde was disoriented. Jackie was a _really_ good kisser.

"You're thinking about something else," she explained, scooting away from him a bit so they could have a proper conversation.

"How the hell would you even-

"Girls just know these things, Steven," she said in that know-it-all tone. Hyde squinted at her, silently debating over whether he should tell her or not. He had the funny feeling that Jackie would know exactly what to do to snap Forman out of this fog, so he decided to spill.

"It's about Eric," he rolled his eyes. "Ever since Donna left, he hasn't been right. I mean, I knew he was gonna mope around and act like an idiot, but it's getting kinda scary. The guy sleeps all the time and he's not interested in anything. Fez and I were even gonna rent Star Wars and watch it with him but he was just like, 'No, I'm good'" Hyde rubbed his forehead. "I don't know how to get him over it."

"Well, first off," Jackie straightened her hair. "He's never just gonna 'get over it.' Donna was way out of his league and he knows that he's never gonna get another girl like her again."

"Got anything helpful to share with the class?" Hyde sneered.

"You didn't let me finish," Jackie narrowed her eyes. "As to getting him to snap out of it….we'll figure it out." she shrugged. "We're his friends and you know him better than anyone. Between the two of us, I'm sure we can bring him back from the dead."

Hyde couldn't help but smile at her. Sure, she was usually selfish, and she and Eric didn't always get along. But she wanted to help Forman get over Donna. She wanted to help Hyde. _She might just have a heart after all_.

"Between the two of us, is that right?" Hyde smirked, loosely grabbing her wrist and slowly tugging her back towards him.

"Yep," she grinned. "Now that that's taken care of, do you care to pick up where we left off?"

"With pleasure."


	93. Are You Sure?

**Author's Note: I had a lot of fun writing this chapter! I hope you like it as much as I do :) Also, we're getting crazy close to the end! I have a lot in store for these last few chapters, so don't worry!**

" **Are you sure?"**

Jackie had a pretty clear image of who Steven Hyde was in her mind. He was tough and sarcastic. He liked loud music and cheap beer. He always rooted for the underdog, and he would do anything for his friends. He was confident in who he was, and he was never unsure of anything. Well, that's what Jackie had _thought_.

That fateful summer day, when she and Hyde kissed on the couch and started their secret relationship, was normal at first. Jackie woke up, hung around her house for a bit, then went over to the Formans'. When she got there, Hyde was watching TV, Eric and Fez nowhere to be found. So she plopped down next to him. They watched Wheel of Fortune and made nasty comments about the contestants. And then they kissed. And then they kissed again. And before Jackie knew it, his hands were tangled in her hair, her hands were pressed against his chest, and everything felt so, unbelievably _right_.

"Hello, everybody!" Fez's cheerful voice warned them that he was coming. They shot away from each other as he clattered down the stairs. "Look what I found!" He was holding a dirty Frisbee in his hand.

"Where did you get that?" Jackie wrinkled her nose in disgust.

"The ditch in front of the grocery store," Fez grinned happily, then turned to Hyde. "Come on, let's play with it!"

"Uh," Hyde adjusted his sunglasses, glancing surreptitiously over at Jackie. "I'll meet you outside, bud. I gotta use the can."

"Alrighty then!" and then Fez was gone, skipping out of the basement like he was a character in a Disney cartoon.

"He is so weird," Jackie shook her head. She turned back to Hyde. "So….about what just happened."

"Yeah, I don't know what happened," Hyde was stumbling over his words, and Jackie was shocked to see him look flustered. "I just-well, maybe we should keep this between us….and we don't ever have to mention it again, it was just a one-

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Jackie held up her hands, trying to stop the words that were spilling out of Hyde. "One time thing? Is that….is that what you want?" she was treading carefully, afraid of showing her hand.

"Well…" Hyde hesitated.

"Because I think that….well, maybe this could work." _The hell with playing it close to my chest_. Jackie looked expectantly at him, waiting for Hyde to burst out laughing, or to tell her she was crazy. But when he didn't, she forged ahead. "We could….hook up. Just for the summer! And no one has to know."

Hyde was biting his lip and Jackie knew he was about to punch a hole in her plan. She wished he wouldn't. She had been surprised to find that he was even better at kissing than he had been that Veteran's Day when she had practically forced him to take her on a date. She wanted to kiss him again. She wanted to feel his hands all over her, she wanted-

"I mean…." Hyde's voice jolted her from her dirty thoughts. "Are you sure?"

"What do you mean?"

"Are you sure you wanna do this….with me?" Jackie heard the uncertainty in his voice and it stunned her. Steven Hyde was not someone who hesitated. He wasn't someone who lacked confidence.

"Steven," she said. "Who was I just making out with on that dirty old couch? You. Who have I been spending most of the summer with anyways? You." She stepped closer to him, uncertainly placing a hand on his arm. "Of course I'm sure."

And then she kissed him.

The rest of that summer was full of kissing and touching and holding but, for Jackie, none of them had that same, poignant feeling of the way they had kissed at the beginning. Both unsure. Both feeling something for the other. They didn't know what they had yet. But Jackie was proud of the fact that she had always been sure of Hyde.

The years passed. There were fights and tears, kisses and laughter. Things changed. People changed. And suddenly, it was November 12th, 1984.

Jackie had been planning her wedding for as long as she could remember. Hyde had given her free rein over the thing, only grumbling when she asked for his input. But the day was here, and Jackie felt like her heart could just burst out of her chest right here in front of all their friends and family. She was standing at the altar next to the man she loved. She was finally getting married. Everything was coming together the way it should.

"And do you, Jacqueline Beulah Burkhart, take Steven James Hyde, as your lawfully wedded husband?" Jackie looked at Hyde, who was suppressing his laughter. His only request had been that, when they did this part of the vows, she had to include her middle name. But she was so happy today, she didn't even want to kick his shins. She smiled so wide she thought her face would split in half.

"I do." There were tears in her eyes, but she blinked them away. This was everything she had ever wanted, and it was finally happening!

Before the minister could say anything else, however, Hyde leaned towards her. His trademark smirk plastered on his face, he whispered, "Are you sure, doll?"

Jackie giggled and rolled her eyes. "Absolutely."

"Hey, Pastor Dan," Hyde turned to look at their old youth minister. "I'm gonna kiss her, so I'm just gonna say 'I do,' too, and we can do away with all the fancy stuff, okay?"

And before Pastor Dan could say anything, Hyde kissed Jackie. He even dipped her, just like she had always dreamed about!

"Well," Pastor Dan called over the cheers coming from the congregation. "I suppose I pronounce these two man and wife!"

"Alright!" Michael shot up out of his seat, pumping a fist in the air.

Jackie started laughing, her arms still encircling Hyde's neck. She met his eyes. No sunglasses. Nothing to hide. He loved her, and that was the only thing she ever needed to be sure about.

So she kissed him again.


	94. I Believe In You

" **I believe in you"**

Hyde never expected to amount to much. His dad was a bartender, but as soon as he screwed up there, he would move on to some other low-level job. His mom was a lunch lady. The way he figured it, if he managed to live in a place that had running water, heating, _and_ a TV set? He'd be the most successful Hyde in the history of his family.

That's why it surprised him so much to hear that other people had greater hopes for him. Red and Mrs. Forman thought he could go to college. Hell, Donna thought he could get a scholarship. Scribble off some shit about his broken home for the college essay, and he was in. Kelso and Fez thought he was a damn superhero sometimes; saving them from whatever dumbass situation they had gotten themselves into this time. And Jackie? Well, Jackie just plain believed.

They were both drunk. Not in a messy, stumble-down-the-stairs way. In a peaceful, sleepy way. They were at the overlook on Mt. Hump, sitting on the hood of the El Camino. Jackie had her head on his shoulder, Hyde had his arm around her waist. And, since Hyde was drunk, he was telling Jackie the kind of stuff he would rather never share with anyone.

"The future is some scary shit, doll," he murmured, pulling her closer.

"Uh huh," she said absentmindedly. Hyde got the feeling she was on the verge of dozing off, which is why he felt safe in making this next declaration.

"Sometimes I'm afraid of how I'll turn out." He gazed up at the stars, half-hoping Jackie hadn't heard him.

"Whaddaya mean, Puddin'?" Her voice was slightly slurred, but she had lifted her head off his shoulder and turned to face him.

"Well," he sighed. "You ever get scared that you'll be like your parents? Make their mistakes?"

"My mom married rich and is still as beautiful as ever," Jackie tossed her hair. "I _hope_ I turn out like her."

Hyde shook his head and chuckled, taking another swig of the beer bottle he was holding in his hand. "Never mind."

"No, tell me what you mean," Jackie tugged on his sleeve. "I wanna understand."

"My folks….weren't the best at being parents," Hyde chose his words carefully. "And sometimes I wonder if I'll be like that."

"Like what?"

"Bad. I wonder if I'll turn out just like Bud; get a girl pregnant and then run off after a couple years. Or maybe I'll be like Edna; I'll stick with the kid for awhile, treat him like shit, and _then_ run off." Hyde chuckled darkly. "Hell, maybe I'll be like both of them. An alcoholic who smacks his wife and kid around."

Hyde hadn't meant to say all that. No one, and I mean _no one_ , knew about his folks beating up on him. It hadn't even happened that many times; just enough for Hyde to learn how to hate his own parents.

Jackie hadn't spoken yet, and Hyde was a little afraid he had scared her. I mean, who wants to hang out with their boyfriend and hear him say he thought he might turn into a monster?

"Steven," she started, then bit her lip. She looked troubled, and Hyde suddenly had the thought that she might just break up with him right here. "Do you really think that? Do you really think that you'll be like them?"

"It's genetics," he shrugged. "We're all slaves to the genes, Burkhart."

"But we're not!" she exclaimed. "Steven, you would never….never hurt anyone like that! You wouldn't leave your wife and kid!"

"You don't know that."

"Shut up, yes I do." Jackie's eyes were blazing. "Because I know you. And you would never do anything remotely like that."

"Oh, yeah? How do you know?"

"I believe in you, Steven."

Simple words. Nothing fancy. But they struck Hyde as hard as a punch in the face. _I believe in you_. Jackie believed in him. She didn't think he would turn everything he touched into shit. She didn't think he would be like his parents. She believed in him. No one had ever said that to him before. Sure, Red and Mrs. Forman told him he could do something with his life, that he wouldn't be a bum. His friends said he would get whatever he wanted out of life. But Jackie? Jackie didn't just say she thought he would turn out fine. She _knew_ he wouldn't make his parents' mistakes. Because she _believed_ in him.

Hyde pulled her closer to him, and she set her head on his shoulder.

"Jackie, I'm about to say something sappy and gross, and if you tell anyone about it, I'll kill you but," Hyde took a deep breath. "Sometimes I think you're the best thing that ever happened to me."

"Of course I am," he could hear the smile in her voice. "I'm Jackie Burkhart; I'm the best thing that could ever happen to anybody."

Hyde laughed softly and kissed the top of her head. _Jackie's right_ , he thought. _How could I turn out anything like my parents when I've got her by my side?_


	95. Don't Worry About Me

" **Don't worry about me"**

Jackie shot up, breathing heavily. As she looked around, trying to get her bearings, she remembered where she was: in bed, Hyde sleeping beside her. Well, he _was_ sleeping. Her sudden movements had woken him up and he was looking at her with concern.

"Uh, I just," Jackie ran a hand through her hair. "I had a bad dream."

"Another one?" Hyde was sitting up now. "What is that, the third one this week? You know, I'm starting to think you might be having second thoughts about marrying me, Burkhart."

Jackie stuck her tongue out at him as he chuckled.

"Seriously though…." he wasn't laughing anymore and was giving her a worried look. "What's up with the dreams? Have you been eating any weird shit? Or, like, watching scary movies?"

"No, no," Jackie waved him off. "It's nothing. My subconscious is just being annoying."

"Jackie…." his tone meant "I love you so you have to tell me," and Jackie silently cursed herself for teaching him how to do that.

"Oh, alright, fine!" she took a deep breath. "I keep having dreams where, uh….well, you leave. And you don't come back." She looked down at her lap, unsure of how Hyde would react.

"Hey," he said softly, and she glanced up quickly. Hyde was smiling, but Jackie could see a little anger, a little sadness, in his eyes. "I'm not going anywhere. You think I woulda given you that," he pointed to the diamond ring on her finger. "If I was gonna split? I don't think so."

Jackie laughed weakly, but she could feel the waterworks about to start. "It's just that….everyone leaves, you know?"

"Burkhart, I'm pretty sure that's my line."

"But it's true! My parents, Michael….everyone I've ever loved. Hell, you left, too!"

"But I came back." Hyde said quietly, taking her hand in his. "I came back, and I'm never going away again."

"I know, babe, I know," Jackie blew out a breath. "But try telling that to my subconscious, you know? I'm just worried, I guess."

"Don't worry about me, Jackie. I'm here and, once we get those rings on our fingers, you're never gonna get rid of me." Hyde smiled and Jackie felt a tear fall from her eye. He was so sweet. He liked to pretend he was hard and rough and ready for a fight, but ever since she was 15, Jackie had known that he had a heart of gold. Hadn't he always done everything she had ever asked of him? Hadn't he taught her how to open her mind and really think about things? He had always been there for her, even when he wasn't physically there. And now they were getting married. Jackie had been shocked when he proposed. Sure, they had been dating for about a year, and yeah, they had both talked about the future with the assumption that they would be together, but Jackie had never dreamed he would propose. She had resigned herself to the fact that Hyde, while loving her and wanting to stay with her forever, simply didn't want to be involved with the "capitalist institution of marriage." So when he got down on one knee, popped open that little black box, and said, "Whaddaya say, Burkhart?," she thought she was dreaming. But she wasn't. And he was still here. That had to mean _something_ , right?

Jackie leaned forward and kissed Hyde softly. When she drew back, she thought her heart would burst. She saw the kind, gentle smile on his face, the love in his eyes and…..well, she was falling in love all over again.

"I love you, Puddin'," she smirked.

"Love you, too, kid," he grinned back.

"Steven, I'm your fiancee, you can't keep calling me 'kid'!"

"Go to sleep, kiddo."

"That's even worse!"


	96. You Don't Have To Say Anything

" **You don't have to say anything"**

It was August 16, 1980. Hyde was watching TV, but shockingly, he wasn't in the basement. Last month, he had decided: it was time to move out of the Forman's house. He was getting too old, and besides, Red and Mrs. Forman deserved a break from the constant drama the group had always brought to their home. So he'd gotten an apartment. It was weird, having a real room, not spending most of his time in a basement. But this was adult life, right? You woke up, you went to work, and you came home. And you lived in an apartment. Hyde was working on growing up, but it was really crappy sometimes. The upside? He could smoke anywhere he wanted! His whole damn place smelled like weed and no one said anything!

He was watching _CHiPs_ and cracking open another beer when he heard a knock on the door. Well, not just a knock. More like an incessant beating, coupled with someone yelling his name. _Huh, I wonder who it is_ , Hyde thought sarcastically to himself. He got up to answer the door, swinging it open to reveal Jackie. _Surprise, surprise_.

"Where's the fire, Jackie?"

"Oh, shut up, Steven," she snapped as she pushed past him into his living room. "Where's the beer?"

"The fridge?" Hyde was mystified by Jackie's attitude. Sure, things had been rocky between the two of them for awhile but, ever since she started dating Fez, they had eased back into friendship. This was still weird, though.

"You okay?" he followed her into the kitchen, watching as she angrily opened a beer and started chugging. She stopped, wiped her mouth the back of her hand, and shot him a withering look.

"Oh yeah, I'm great. That's why I came over to my ex-boyfriend's house to drink his beer!" she rolled her eyes.

"Hey, I'm just asking!"

"Well, you'll probably find out soon enough," she sniffed, and Hyde saw tears in her eyes. _Oh, come on! Why is it always me?_ "Fez and I broke up." And then she was bawling.

"Oh, uh, well, come on! It's not that bad! Stop crying, come on, don't cry!" Hyde was across the room in a flash, putting an arm around her and holding her tight. It was reflexive and, as soon as he did it, he worried Jackie would get mad, but she just clung onto his shirt, crying her eyes out.

"He-he told me he didn't love me and tha-that he knew I didn't lo-lo-love him!" she hiccuped out. "And then I said, ' _You_ ca-can't break up with _me_! I'm J-J-Jackie Burkhart! No one b-breaks up with _me_! I'm breaking up w-with _you_!'"

Hyde couldn't help it. He felt that familiar flutter in his chest, that twist of his heart, the feeling that only Jackie could give him. _She's not with Fez anymore? And Sam is gone….maybe we could-no. No, I'm being crazy_.

"It's not that bad, kid," Hyde rubbed her back. "In a few months, you're gonna laugh about this! And this is good, you know? You wouldn't wanna be with a guy who didn't love you."

"It just sucks, you know?" Jackie sniffled as Hyde led her into the living room to sit on the couch. "I thought that _this_ time, I had really found the one. Now what am I gonna do?"

"Everything's gonna be just fine, Burkhart." He hadn't called her that since they'd broken up, but it had slipped out so easily! Everything about this felt familiar to Hyde.

Jackie stayed over until midnight. They talked for awhile, they watched _The Great Santini_ , and they ate a lot of pizza and drank a lot of beer. And it gave Hyde hope. The next few weeks, he and Jackie started hanging out again. She would come over in the afternoon and they would watch crappy game shows, just like they did that summer when everything started for them. Hyde couldn't believe that, for once in his life, things were going his way. He was single. Jackie was single. They were friends again, just like they used to be. Maybe life would be kind to him, just once. Once was all he needed.

They were sitting on the couch, watching _M*A*S*H_. Hyde had decided that tonight was the night: he was gonna ask her out. Or at least, to ask her to _think_ about going out with him. He knew it wasn't gonna be easy. Hell, he'd run off and married a stripper. And he hadn't divorced her as soon as he found out, either! He'd just let her live in the basement with him! And he'd been a pretty big asshole to Jackie. He didn't expect her to leap back into his arms. But hey; she had to know how he felt. He had to see if there was a chance.

"I hope they never cancel this show," Jackie said absentmindedly, twisting her hair around her finger. _Say it. Come on, just say it. Maybe I should just kiss her? Like we did that summer. No! No, that's a terrible idea! Just be a man and blurt it out_.

"Hey Jackie?"

"Uh huh?"

"Can I ask you something?" Jackie turned to look at him. Hyde could hear his heartbeat in his ears. _What if she shoots me down? What if, after this, we can never go back to being friends?_

"Yeah, sure." Jackie drew her legs up to her chest, resting her chin on her knees.

"Well, I was just wondering….you know, you broke up with Fez….and I thought maybe…." Hyde took a huge breath. "Would you wanna go out with me sometime maybe?"

Jackie was staring at him, mouth open in shock. Hyde felt his stomach drop. _This was a terrible idea_.

"You don't have to say anything," he said hastily. "I don't expect you to-well, I just-I just had to say it. You had to know." He turned back to the TV, his face burning. This was hands-down one of the most embarrassing things he'd ever done.

"Steven?" her voice was quiet, but Hyde was so thankful she was gonna say something, _anything_ , that he silently thanked God.

"Yeah?" he looked at her. She didn't _look_ like she was about to break his heart, so that was a good sign. But she also didn't look like she was about to throw herself in his arms and tell him that she had loved him forever.

"I think that us….going out again," she hesitated. "I think that maybe…."

" _Maybe" what? What? Just break my heart already!_

"I think we could….try it." Jackie finished.

"I completely understand,I won't bother you abou-wait." Hyde stopped his rehearsed apologies, staring at her incredulously. "You're not shooting me down?"

She playfully smacked his arm. "No, I'm not shooting you down. I don't think we should go back to where we were, but….well, I think we should get a do-over."

Hyde knew he was grinning like an idiot, but he didn't care. A do-ver. He was getting a do-over. She didn't hate him.

"That sounds good to me, Burkhart." he smiled. She smiled back and Hyde could feel his heart growing like he was the Grinch at the end of the movie.

"But you really gotta impress me this time!" she admonished him. "Pull out all the stops! Flowers, candy, jewelry, the whole thing." She was giggling like crazy and Hyde wanted nothing more than to take her face in his hands and kiss her, kiss her the way he had been dreaming about for the last few months. But they were taking it slow, so he just laughed, too. Later, he gingerly put his arm around her shoulder. She leaned against his chest. Taking it slow.

 _I wonder how long taking it slow is gonna take_ , Hyde mused. His thoughts slid to the ring he'd bought last year, right before he went off to Chicago to get Jackie. It was still sitting in a drawer in his dresser. He'd never been able to get rid of it, but now he knew why. _I can't wait to see the look on her face_.


	97. I'm Sorry I Didn't Mean To

**Author's note: One more chapter! I can't believe it's almost over! I know I've kinda slowed down on the updates, but I've just been trying to write the best possible chapters for the end of this fic. Thanks so much to everyone who is still reading! I hope you like these chapters; I really loved writing them :)**

" **I'm sorry. I didn't mean to"**

Jackie had a lot of good qualities, but she knew that her worst one was being fatally curious. She had an issue with snooping, and she couldn't do anything about it. The gang had noticed and taken care not to leave anything important and secret anywhere she could find it, but that didn't stop her from discovering things they would all rather keep in the dark.

It was raining when Jackie got to the Forman's house. She slid the glass door open quickly, stepping into the kitchen and shaking the water out of her hair.

"Hi, Mrs. Forman!" she said cheerfully, shrugging out of her jacket.

"Hello, Jackie! What are you up to today?" Mrs. Forman was pouring herself a drink. Some might say she was an alcoholic, but Jackie always thought that if _she_ was married to Red Forman and had kids like Eric and Laurie, _she_ would drink, too.

"Just gonna see what everyone's doing downstairs." Jackie was already on her way to the basement door when Mrs. Forman gave her a piece of information she didn't know she had been waiting for.

"Well, the boys are all gone today. Something about getting a new record? Or maybe it was a book…." Mrs. Forman trailed off. "Well anyways, they'll be gone until dinner time."

"Oh, alright then," Jackie nodded. "Well, I'll go see if Donna is down there."

She tried not to race down the stairs. _Finally! This is my chance to snoop around Steven's room!_ She looked carefully around the basement, making sure that it really was empty. She listened for anyone's approaching footsteps. _The coast is clear_. She walked back to Hyde's room, pausing in the doorway. She half-expected to see him stretched out on his cot, reading one of the well-worn paperbacks stacked around his bed. But the room was empty, so she got to work.

Opening and closing the dresser drawers, Jackie was disappointed to find them all filled with raggedy jeans, faded band t-shirts, and boxers. _Yuck_. She turned to look at the rest of the room. _Where would he hide important things?_ Jackie glanced around the room a few times before her eyes were drawn to a nondescript shoe box sitting in the corner. _Bingo_.

Jackie grabbed the box, plopping down on Hyde's bed. She lifted the lid and found….not much. _I don't know what I was expecting, but certainly something a little more exciting than this_. She lifted a stack of folded papers out, setting them on the bed next to her. Next were some photos that were bound together with a rubber band. _Alright, here we go_. She flipped through them and was surprised to see pictures of the gang throughout the years. There was one of them in the Formans' driveway, smiles forced because Mrs. Forman was going crazy with the Kodak. There was one with the guys posing around a passed-out Fez wearing a dress and surrounded by beer cans. There was one with Jackie on Michael's shoulders and Eric on Donna's shoulders; she giggled at that one. She was shocked to see that he even had a copy of their prom picture from last year. _Weird_. As she kept flipping through, she noticed she was going further back through the years. Here was Michael with braces, Eric clutching a toy spaceship, and Hyde smiling cooly at the camera. Here they were, covered in mud, Donna's arm slung around Eric. Here was Eric and Hyde as little kids, arms around each other's shoulders. Hyde was missing his front teeth and his signature sunglasses. Jackie smiled softly. It was weird to think of Hyde ever being a little kid. As she flipped to the last picture, she found herself wishing she had been friends with the gang ever since they were all little kids. It would be fun to share those memories with them.

The last picture sort of broke her heart. It was Hyde at around four years old. He was standing in front of a house that Jackie recognized as the one he lived in now. It wasn't as broken down in the picture. Standing beside him was, Jackie assumed, his mom. She looked younger. She looked happier. Hyde looked happy, too. Jackie didn't know for sure, but she bet Hyde's dad was taking the picture. _They were a normal family once_.

She set the stack of pictures aside. Suddenly, she didn't feel so good about this whole snooping thing. _Why do I feel bad? It's Steven. He doesn't have feelings. And besides, this is interesting as hell_. She turned back to the shoebox, pulling out a little toy car and then a small blue notebook. Curiosity aroused, she flipped it open quickly. _God, his handwriting is terrible_. She squinted at the page, trying to make sense of his chicken scratch.

 _Sometimes I feel empty inside_

 _Like my soul packed up and left_

 _You could scream out and all you would hear is the echo_

 _I chalk it all up to leaving people_

 _And having them leave me_

 _But life rolls on. That's all there is to it._

Jackie stopped. _Oh my God, Hyde writes poetry? Eh, it kinda makes sense_. She flipped through, not taking the time to read the ink scribbles that almost completely filled up the notebook. There were a few doodles; lightning bolts, band logos,. There were some short stories, too: some were fictional, some were about what had happened to him that day. Jackie saw her name dotted throughout these. She liked knowing that, even though she wasn't the main character of his life, she still made her impact.

She was running out of pages to scan when one of the poems caught her attention. The words weren't dark and stormy like the others, and there were stars doodled in the margins. She put the page close to her face, trying to decipher his handwriting.

 _I thought I hated her I really did_

 _Loud and brash and sparkly and full of fire_

 _Hated it_

 _Hated her_

 _But now I find myself smiling at her words_

 _Laughing at her jokes_

 _Searching for something in her smile_

 _Is it crazy?_

 _Yes_

 _Is it stupid?_

 _Yes_

 _Is there any hope at all?_

 _I don't know what answer I would rather hear_

 _It's something I'll shake off_

 _Something I'll keep inside_

 _Something no one has to know_

 _Life hurts it hurts all the time_

 _When I'm with her it hurts_

 _When I'm away it hurts even more_

 _So I'll say this_

 _If this is love_

 _Count me out_

Jackie was speechless. Who knew Steven Hyde had the soul of a poet? She traced the indentations in the paper where he had pressed down especially hard. _Who was this mystery girl? Who had Steven this hot and bothered?_ She was about to flip the page, hoping to find another clue to Steven's crush when she heard a sound that made her stomach drop.

"What the _hell_ are you doing?" Jackie's head shot up. Hyde was standing in the doorway, his mouth set in a hard line. Jackie opened her mouth, trying to stutter out an excuse, but she knew she was caught red-handed. She was reading his notebook, surrounded by his personal photos. There was no getting out of this one.

"I just-you guys were supposed to be gone all day and-I didn't think-I just-" Jackie stopped. Realizing she was still clutching the notebook, she quickly closed it and tossed it on the bed, standing up to make her case.

"You came in my room," Hyde said slowly. "And decided that, since I was gone for the day, you were just gonna rifle through my belongings, is that it?"

"Steven, I didn't-

"These things are personal, Jackie." He wasn't yelling but Jackie could hear the anger in his voice. His fists were clenched at his side, his eyes narrowed behind his shades.

"I know it was wrong, but Steven," Jackie was grasping at straws now. "Your poems are really good! You should-

"You _read_ them?" Hyde's voice was louder now, right on the edge of yelling.

"Y-yeah, I did," Jackie said quietly. "And they were good! Who are they-

"It's none of your business, it's none of your _damn_ business, Jackie!" he had taken a large step towards her, his hands still in fists.

"I….I'm sorry," Jackie was willing herself not to cry. "I didn't mean to-

"Don't give me that." he said harshly. "You came in, you went through my stuff, and now you're just sorry you got caught."

"Steven, I'm sorry!" she finally yelled. "I am! I'm sorry! But….well, now I know that you're in love with someone! I can help you out with that!" she could hear the panicky tone in her voice, but Hyde wasn't saying anything, so she pressed on. "I'm good at this stuff, Steven, you know I am! And maybe if you had a girlfriend, you wouldn't be so angry all the time."

Hyde still wasn't speaking. He was staring at her, looking like she had an answer that she was refusing to give him. He looked like he was struggling, trying to tell her something. But Jackie didn't read any farther into it. She was afraid to know what he might tell her.

"Jackie," he said heavily, all the anger gone from his voice. Instead, he just sounded weary. "Don't tell anyone what you saw in here. Never mention it to me again. I don't wanna hear it. I don't wanna remember this."

"But-

"Jackie." His tone was final; she couldn't argue with him. So she didn't. She just nodded and quietly left the room.

They never mentioned it again and Jackie had almost forgotten about it until one day, she was straightening up their apartment. She opened a desk drawer and saw a familiar little blue notebook. In a flash, she remembered that day and the things she had learned about Hyde. She eagerly flipped open the notebook, drinking in Hyde's words. She got to the back of the book and read that poem that had given her so much pause all those years ago. _I thought I hated her I really did_. She traced the words with her finger.

"It was about you." she whirled around to see Hyde standing in the doorway. It was the same scene they had played out that day, except this time Hyde was smiling.

"What?"

"That poem. It was about you." he grinned, walking towards her. "I almost died when you read it. I thought you'd know for sure that I was basically in love with you. Imagine my relief _and_ disappointment when you had no idea and then offered to help me get the girl of my dreams."

"I was kind of obtuse back then." Jackie admitted, smiling as he slid his hands around his waist. "But come on! You were so mean to me; how was I supposed to know you secretly pined for me?"

Hyde laughed and kissed her lightly. "I never planned on letting anyone know about it. Never in a million years did I think we would be together."

"Life's funny that way, huh?"

"Life's _amazing_ that way, babe."


	98. I Want You To Be Happy

" **I want you to be happy"**

Hyde was determined to get Jackie back. They had only been broken up for a few weeks, but to Hyde, it seemed like forever. He had even tried to cast her a line, telling her that that he would be open to getting back together….you know, if that was something she wanted. But she had said no! Hyde knew it was because she was proud. Hell, he was, too. Neither one of them wanted to break the stalemate they were in. Neither one wanted to be the weak one. So they soldiered on, pretending like everything was fine. But today, Hyde had been given hope. Fez, under great duress, told Hyde that Jackie still loved him (duh) and that she did want to get back together. So, Hyde decided to be the bigger person. He was going to meet Jackie at the studio after her show and ask her if they could be together again.

He stood behind Donna, who was manning the camera, and marveled at how comfortable Jackie was under all this pressure. She was doing a hell of a lot better than she did last time, that was for sure.

"-and that's all we have for today," Jackie clasped her hands together and smiled her shiny, school-picture-day smile. "Join us next time for another segment of 'Slut or not?'" She held the smile until Donna called, "Clear!"

"Oh my gosh, that went so well!" Jackie squealed. "I felt like Barbara Walters!"

"Yeah, that was a definite improvement from your last episode," Donna suppressed a grin. Hyde could feel a goofy grin of his own on his face. _God, she's cute when she gets all excited like that_. He cleared his throat and made his way towards Jackie, knowing that she would be so excited to hear him say he wanted them to be back to the way they were.

"Hey," he said smoothly. "I thought maybe we could talk for a minute."

"Is it about my show?" she responded, her eyes all sparkly and excited. "'Cause it was awesome! Steven," she took a breath, "I went on, and I did _great_. And I did it on my own! I mean, I've never been more proud of myself in my entire _life_."

Hyde felt his stomach sinking with every word. Jackie did not sound like someone who was desperately waiting to leap into his arms.

"I'm gonna do great on my own." she finished, shrugging slightly. Hyde just smiled. Because sure, it wasn't what he wanted. But Jackie was so proud of herself. She was really growing up, becoming her own person. Her voice broke through his thoughts: "I'm sorry, what did you want to talk to me about?"

"I wanted…." he paused, not sure how to proceed. "I want….I want you to be happy, Burkhart." he said simply. He had blurted it out, but as soon as he said it, he knew it was right. "And you are. The show….I mean, this is good for you, Jackie. I want you to be happy, and this is doing it."

Jackie was smiling at him, but there was a little sadness in her eyes, a little understanding. "Thank you, Steven," she said softly, putting her hand on his arm. "That means a lot to me."

"Uh…" Hyde felt his brain short-circuiting. All he wanted to do was take her in his arms and kiss the crap outta her. But that wasn't what this was about. And he wasn't gonna do that anymore. "You need a ride home?"

"No, I've got some stuff to finish up here," she laughed. "But thanks for the offer. See you later?"

"Yeah, I'll see you," he smirked, turning to go. Sure, it hurt. Sure, it wasn't the way he had imagined it all in his head. But Jackie was happy. She was whole. And she didn't need Hyde. _Ain't that the way it always is_ , he thought ruefully. _You try to get the girl, but she doesn't need you to save her. Oh, well. As long as she's happy, I'll be alright_.


	99. I'll Still Be Here When You're Ready

**"I'll still be here when you're ready"**

Jackie Burkhart was not someone who liked to wait. She wanted what she wanted, and she wanted it _now_. But there was one thing; one _person_ , she would wait on. Steven Hyde, her unlikely knight-in-shining-armor. They fought all the time, about everything under the sun, but the fight they seemed to replay over and over again was if they would get married or not.

"But Steven, being married would be so much fun!" Jackie whined. "We would live together and you would go to work every day and we could have sex everywhere in the house!"

"As great as that sounds, Jackie," Hyde rolled his eyes. "I really just don't want to think about this. We're young and we don't need to ruin everything with marriage."

"Marriage won't ruin anything!" Jackie scoffed. "You're just being a typical guy. How come girls are the only ones who know how important being married is?"

"I know it's important to _you_ to be married," Hyde leaned his head against the wall, both of them sitting together on his bed. "But in my life, marriage usually spells disaster. Hell, my parents only got married 'cause Edna was pregnant with me. They hated each other and being forced into marriage? Well, that just made everything a hell of a lot worse. And you saw how a wedding went for Eric and Donna! So yeah, I don't see marriage as all that great."

"Steven," Jackie said, resting her head on his shoulder. "It wouldn't be like that for us. For one, I'm not getting pregnant any time soon. And we love each other. It would be different, you gotta trust me."

"You know I do, babe, you know I do," he chuckled. "But we're both still young. I like the way things are now; I'm just not ready for my life to change like that."

"Well," Jackie sighed, twining their fingers together. "I'm not happy about it, but….I'll still be here when you're ready."

Hyde leaned over and kissed her forehead. "You're the only girl I'd ever think about marrying, Burkhart."

"That's something, at least." she giggled.

Jackie remembered that moment when Hyde's new wife walked through the door. She thought about it obsessively for weeks. _You're the only girl I'd ever think about marrying. Yeah, right. Steven Hyde, you dirty liar_.

Jackie remembered that moment when Hyde asked her to marry him. After she had said yes and they had both said the sappy things that are a hallmark of an engagement, Jackie jokingly said, "I can't wait to be your second wife."

"You're the only one that counts." he had said solemnly. "And you're gonna be the only one that's legally binding….unless you're secretly married to some old guy that you're not telling me about?" he grinned rakishly.

"Nope," Jackie smirked. "You're the only guy I'd ever think about marrying." Hyde recognized the phrase, smiling at the memories of that day.

"You're the only girl I have _ever_ thought about marrying. Everything else was just a mistake." He kissed her then, slow and passionate and everything Jackie needed. _I've waited long enough for this day_ , she thought. _And we're finally ready_.


	100. I Love You

" **I love you"**

Three words; that was all. Three simple words. Words that Jackie tossed around like glitter into the air. Words that Hyde clutched close to his chest, hoping he'd never have to give them away. But, of course, he did in the end.

They said it in anger, they said it with laughter in their voice. They yelled it and they said it with nothing but the look in their eyes. Hyde used it to get out of trouble and to make Jackie's eyes sparkle. Jackie said it to make Hyde smirk and to get him to do anything she asked.

Their first times using "the L word" on each other were a tad disastrous, to say the least.

 _"And I think it's a real waste, Steven, because I love you," Jackie had huffed. Hyde thought his brain was gonna explode. She? Loved him? Sounded fake, right?_

 _"Jackie….I love you," he had said quietly. Here he was, standing in Donna's room a few days later, trying to win Jackie back. Can you believe it took her a few days to forgive him? He says "I love you" for the first time and she didn't just jump into his arms? Crazy._

The years went on, Jackie determinedly pulling the words out of Hyde and, in turn, Hyde giving them to her at times when she needed them most. And then one day, it stopped.

 _"I thought you loved me!" Jackie yelled. "And then you tell me you don't want to get married and you disappear! Then, you show up two months later with a wife!" She shoved her hands against his chest, wanting him to hurt the way she did._

 _"Well, you know what? Life's a bitch, Jackie, it just is! I might have loved you once but I don't anymore!" Hyde felt his heart cracking as he saw the look in her eyes, but he kept going. "I don't love you."_

 _"Well," she took a deep breath, putting on a mask of total indifference. "That's fine, because I don't love you, either."_

They were lying, of course. But they were both so proud and stubborn; they would never admit defeat. Time continued to pass and, through some miracle, they tumbled back into each other's arms. Timing is a funny thing that they had never really had a handle on, but they knew what they had. They weren't going to let go this time.

 _"Okay, I'm off," Hyde grabbed his satchel and poured another cup of coffee. "Have a good day at work, love you." He pecked Jackie on the cheek, intending on dashing out the door, but she grabbed the front of his shirt._

 _"Remember how long it took for me to drag those words out of you?" she grinned. "And now you're just saying them like it's nothing."_

 _"Life's funny like that," Hyde smiled back._

They got married, they had kids, they lived a life that neither one of them imagined when they were in high school. They were in love; it's as simple as that.

Love is hard to describe and hard to find, but once you do, you try not to let go. And if you're really lucky, the one you love, loves you back. Jackie Burkhart and Steven Hyde were some of the luckiest people in the world, and they knew it.

 _Her eyes and how they sparkle when I make her smile. Her laugh, how it's loud and obnoxious and totally adorable. How she holds my hand. How she leans her head on my shoulder. Her voice when she's telling me she loves me. The way she tries not to laugh when I burn Eric. When she calls me "baby." The way she looks at me when she knows what I'm thinking, and then we practically run to the bedroom. When she opened her heart to me again. When she said yes. When she told me she was pregnant. The way she looked, holding our daughter in her arms. Her smile. Her voice. Her heart. I love her._

 _The way he smirks at me when he thinks he's won the argument. His eyes; they're beautiful, once he takes those damn sunglasses off. His laugh when I say something particularly outrageous. The way he keeps me in check, making sure I don't rampage too much. The way he wraps his arms around me. When he took me to prom. When he helped me out of every bad situation I've ever stumbled into. The songs he plays me, earnestly telling me that "this one really reminds me of us, babe!" That goofy look he got on his face when I said yes. That same goofy look, except this time, I'm telling him we're having a baby. His kindness. His smile. His heart. I love him._

Yep….the luckiest people in the world.

 **Author's note: So, it's over! I'm sad to end it, but I'm so glad to finally finish a story! Thank you to everyone who has read a chapter, favorited/followed the story, or who has left a comment. If not for you, I definitely would not have finished LOL. I hope you keep reading my other stories and thank you again for all of your support!**


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